Evaluation of the success rate, prosthesis-related quality of life, and satisfaction in patients undergoing rehabilitation with an implant-supported auricular prosthesis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the success rate, prosthesis-related quality of life (QoL), and satisfaction of patients undergoing rehabilitation with endosseous implants in the auricular region. This was a retrospective mixed cohort study involving 22 consecutive eligible patients (11 female, 11 male) with ear defects, treated during 1999-2019. The variables analysed were sex, age at the time of implant placement, date of last prosthesis delivery, level of education, aetiology of the deformity, and radiation history. The questionnaire results were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. The correlation between QoL and satisfaction was evaluated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Implant success was calculated clinically using the number of integrated implants, mobility, and presence of a purulent discharge. For the 22 patients, the mean duration since prosthesis placement was 10.2 ± 5.2 years. Among 47 implants inserted, one failed because of osseointegration failure. Hence, the overall success rate of the auricular implants was 97.9%. The mean ± standard deviation total QoL score and satisfaction score were 52.5 ± 7.10 (maximum possible score 80) and 42.1 ± 6.29 (maximum possible score 55), respectively. The results demonstrate the importance of prosthetic rehabilitation for improved patient QoL and satisfaction.