Leading otolaryngologists, neuro-otologists and clinics in 18 countries have performed more than 3,000 implantations with Oticon Medical’s Ponto system in the two years since the innovative bone anchored solution was first introduced. The Ponto system is Oticon Medical’s first entry into the rapidly growing bone anchored hearing market, designed to provide new choices for patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss or sensorineural single-sided deafness. The newly released implantation numbers reveal strong acceptance of the Ponto system among physicians and surgeons throughout North America and Europe.
Retrospective study from three leading institutions in the USA
Early results from the first retrospective study on clinical outcomes of the Ponto implant system suggest that physicians may have good reason for choosing Ponto1. The study examined the outcomes of patients who underwent Ponto implantation at three leading institutions in the United States: the Michigan Ear Institute, Arizona Hearing and Balance Centre and Georgia Health Sciences University.
A total of 98 patients (38 males and 60 females) ranging in age from 5 years to 79 years (mean age: 51.5 years) were included in the multicentre study. All had received a Ponto bone anchored system between November 2009 and June 2011. The mean follow-up period was 5.3 months. A linear incision technique with tissue undermining was used in 95 percent of cases. The study examined the rate of implant loss, rate of revision surgery and incidence of skin reactions.
No implants lost and no revision surgeries needed
The results of the retrospective survey clearly demonstrated the success of the Ponto bone anchored implant system. The study found no implant extrusions in any of the 98 patients implanted with the Ponto system. Nor was revision surgery performed in any of the cases. Skin complications did not occur in the vast majority of patients, and those that did occur were minor and successfully managed clinically.
Out of 98 cases, there was not a single case of osseointegration failure or revision surgery.
“The audiological benefits of the Ponto System have been documented previously, and I am very pleased that we can now show the first clinical results of the Ponto implant from a multicentre survey,” says Jes Olsen, General Manager of Oticon Medical. “These clinical outcomes along with the newest implantation numbers for the Ponto system indicate that we are successfully addressing a clear need for choice and patient-friendly options for physicians, audiologists and their patients.”