Leczenie zaburzeń słuchu za pomocą wszczepialnych implantów słuchowych (na przewodnictwo kostne, ucha środkowego) – potrzeby, dostępność w różnych regionach Polski

Introduction: Hearing loss is an increasing prevalence in people of all ages. The Central Statistical Office estimates that there are approximately 6 million people affected in Poland. People with hearing loss have different treatment options. They most often choose classical hearing aids, but not in all cases it is possible to use such devices. In such situations, the patient is usually qualified for hearing implant surgery.Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse data published by the Ministry of Health in 2016 on diseases of the nose, paranasal sinuses, ear, throat and larynx in Poland. The published data make it possible to assess the availability of health services in the field of middle ear implants and bone conduction implants provided throughout the country.Material and method: The analysis was based on the Health Needs Maps (HNM) published by the Ministry of Health for diseases of the nose, paranasal sinuses, ear, throat and larynx. The HNMs were prepared separately for each voivodship.Results: The data concerned hospitalizations completed in 2014. According to the report, 227 hospitalizations was performed in the whole country, the highest number was in the Mazowieckie voivodship – 66 (30% of all hospitalizations). The services were provided to patients aged 1–69 years. The leading centre which performed the most procedures in this area was the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing in Kajetany.Conclusions: Middle ear implants and temporal bone anchored implants are relatively new devices. The material analysis showed that the availability of this type of devices is relatively uniform across the country. However, most of the services related to this type of implants are provided in the Mazowieckie voivodship.