R.Vasiwala
International Medical University, Malaysia
Title: Skin Complications of Different Surgical Techniques in Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids: A Systematic Review
Biography
Biography: R.Vasiwala
Abstract
Introduction: Since 1977, the BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) has proven successful for thousands of patients worldwide. The Baha System has yielded excellent results for certain patient groups, particularly for those individuals with conductive or mixed hearing loss, or single-sided sensorineural deafness. However, adverse skin reaction was commonly observed in skin incision as well as around the titanium implant which can impair benefit of the implant and the patient’s quality of life
Objective: To review current available evidence to evaluate the adverse skin reactions in conjunction with surgical techniques utilized.
Methods: The search was carried out using three search engines, PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane Database of Controlled Trials. The literature search date was from January 2006 until December 2016. All the study designs were included except case report. Initial search identified was 821 publications. We reviewed 16 articles those met the inclusion criteria. The surgical technique used for the past 10 years were split thickness skin graft (STSG) using dermatome and scalpel, full thickness skin graft (FTSG), linear incision with tissue reduction (simplified Nijmegen technique), linear incision with tissue preservation, pedicle flap using dermatome, two stages and one stage procedure. The skin reaction was evaluated postoperatively by using Holger’s grading system.
Result: The most common surgical techniques identified were full thickness skin graft, Dermatome and linear incision techniques.Tissue preservation technique is associated with more positive outcome in terms of skin complication, compared to the skin thinning method. Linear incision appears to be associated with the lower incidence of adverse skin reactions. Besides, the two-stage procedure showed higher complication rate compared to one stage procedure.
Conclusion: According to the current literatures from the past 10 years, the use of one stage, linear incision and skin preservation provide better skin outcomes. However, higher quality studies are needed to support this finding.