Middle Ear Implants

Vibrating the hearing bones for hard to fit ears

Overview

Active middle ear implants, like the Vibrant Soundbridge, attach an electromagnetic floating mass transducer to the ossicles, driving them directly. Indications: severe outer ear problems, ear canals that cannot fit molds, chronic external otitis, and moderate sensorineural loss. Advantage: no occlusion, no feedback, usable where conventional aids fail. Surgery carries small risks to hearing and facial nerve. Cost and surgical access limit use to selected cases, but for the right ear, they restore comfortable amplification when nothing else fits.