Long-Term Glasgow Benefit Inventory Outcomes in Patients Using Transcutaneous versus Percutaneous Bone-Anchored Hearing Devices

Background: To compare patient-reported outcomes following percutaneous and transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) implantation using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI).

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent BAHA implantation at a tertiary university center between 2011 and 2023, with a median follow-up of 95.50 months [IQR: 37.00-132.00] (range, 16-158 months). Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the validated GBI, which evaluates general benefit, social benefit, physical health, and a total score. Glasgow Benefit Inventory scores were compared between percutaneous and transcutaneous BAHA users. Owing to the limited number of patients, the softband group was evaluated descriptively only. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann–Whitney U-test.

Results: A total of 46 patients were included: 33 transcutaneous and 13 percutaneous BAHA users. The general benefit score was significantly higher in the percutaneous group than in the transcutaneous group (median [IQR]: 83.34 [37.50-89.58] vs. 41.67 [20.83-70.83], P = .032). Total GBI scores were numerically higher in the percutaneous group; however, the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = .069). No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in terms of social benefit (P = .157) or physical health (P = .502).

Conclusion: Both percutaneous and transcutaneous BAHA implantation provided meaningful patient-reported benefit. Percutaneous BAHA was associated with a significantly higher general benefit score, while total, social, and physical health benefits were comparable between techniques. These findings emphasize the importance of long-term follow-up and individualized device selection.

Cite this article as: Sönmez S, Orak Ö, Güldiken Y, et al. Long-term glasgow benefit inventory outcomes in patients using transcutaneous versus percutaneous bone-anchored hearing devices. Balkan ORL-HNS. 2026, 3, 0135, 10.5152/bohns.2026.25135.