The Department of Otolaryngology at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) has successfully implemented the use of bioactive ceramics to replace damaged bone in patients suffering from otosclerosis.
According to Master Le Cong Dinh, the head of the otolaryngology department, otosclerosis is a condition where the stapes bone (a crucial component in sound transmission) becomes stiff and adheres to the oval window of the inner ear, causing sound transmission to be obstructed. Patients experience tinnitus and gradually worsening hearing loss.
Master Le Cong Dinh explained that bioactive ceramics effectively address the main limitations of other materials used for stapes replacement. The bioactive ceramic is porous, soft, and has a chemical composition similar to that of human bone, allowing for rapid adaptation and coexistence with the body. Since the introduction of bioactive ceramics in 2004, the otolaryngology department has performed surgeries to replace the stapes for 150 patients with otosclerosis.
Bioactive ceramics are an award-winning product from Vifotec at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, produced domestically, resulting in a relatively low cost. The expense for a single stapes replacement using bioactive ceramics is only 200,000 – 300,000 VND (in contrast, using imported Teflon synthetic materials can cost up to 4-5 million VND per surgery).
