Argentina performs first bilateral bone conduction implant surgery

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, medical professionals performed the country’s first simultaneous bilateral bone conduction implant surgery. The procedure, which lasted less than an hour, was conducted on Iván Molina, a 20-year-old astronomy student at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata who has lived with bilateral conductive hearing loss since childhood.

The surgery utilized Sentio technology, consisting of a small titanium internal implant placed under the skin and an external processor attached via magnets. This transcutaneous system allows sound to bypass the damaged outer or middle ear by transmitting it directly through the bone.

Following a period of recovery and neurological adaptation to ensure the brain could properly process sounds through this new pathway, the patient has successfully integrated the devices. The intervention is reported to have significantly improved the patient's academic and social life.