Results of the MXM digisonic auditory brainstem implant clinical trials in Europe

Objective: To assess the potential benefit of the MXM auditory brainstem implant for patients with neurofibromatosis type 2. Study Design: Retrospective case review. Setting: Tertiary referral centers. Patients: Fourteen patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 and bilateral acoustic neuromas underwent implantation with the MXM auditory brainstem implant during surgery to remove the second-side tumor. Results: There were no complications related to the auditory brainstem implantation. Auditory sensations were present for 12 of 14 patients (86%). Global results indicated an improved quality of life for the patients receiving auditory sensations, in part because of their auditory orientation within the environment. Eighty-nine percent of patients tested with an open-set sentence test demonstrated enhancement of speech understanding as a result of lip-reading improvement when auditory brainstem implant sound was combined with lip-reading. A few patients (36%) had some speech understanding in sound-only mode. One patient was able to have limited phone conversations. Conclusion: These results indicate that significant auditory benefit can be derived from the MXM auditory brainstem implant.