Objective: To compare the audiological and non-audiological benefits of incus short process (SP) vibroplasty with those of conventional incus long process (LP) vibroplasty.
Study design: Retrospective analysis.
Setting: Tertiary referral center.
Patients: Thirty-six patients with sensorineural hearing loss were treated with the semi-implantable middle ear hearing device. Of these, 22 were treated with conventional LP vibroplasty, and 14 were treated with SP vibroplasty using SP couplers.
Interventions: Implantation with the semi-implantable middle ear hearing device by different methods.
Main outcome measures: Pre- and postoperative hearing level, word recognition score, operation time, and duration of hospital stay were compared. We also surveyed a questionnaire to assess postoperative complications.
Results: The improvement in hearing gain was comparable between SP vibroplasty and conventional LP vibroplasty, except at 8 kHz, at which LP vibroplasty showed better hearing gain (p < 0.05). Patients undergoing SP vibroplasty had shorter operation time (p < 0.01) and duration of hospital stay (p < 0.01). While four patients who underwent incus LP vibroplasty experienced taste changes, none who underwent incus SP vibroplasty experienced any complications.
Conclusions: SP vibroplasty with the newly invented SP coupler could be a good alternative to conventional LP vibroplasty for treating patients with sensorineural hearing loss. Although both SP vibroplasty and LP vibroplasty produce good results, the former is associated with a shorter operation time and duration of hospital stay as well as fewer complications.