Bone Anchored Hearing Aid - anyone have one?

[PInkyminkyohnooo]

My MIL is going for a discussion with her consultant about having these hearing aids, but has been given very little information - does anyone here have experience of this procedure, and are you pleased with the results?

My secretary had this done last year and it has transformed her life.

Hey, they are quite specific to type of loss (cnductive) and ususally if there is a specific reason why a post aural aid can not be used like malfunction of the outer ear/canal, chronic infections etc meaning hearing aid can not be worn. Do you have any more details, has she been aided for long, or had unsuccessful results?

Thanks for replies. She has had significant hearing loss all her life but has been profoundly deaf since she was pregnant with DH. She has been having limited success with the new digital aids but does have problems with ear infections, which is why I think she has been offered this procedure.
She hasn't given it much thought as she's had cancer recently, but the appointment has come up so is keen to know a bit more.

I can find out more details when I speak to her tomorrow.

Kerrymum, the best link I've found so far is here

BAHA does have very specific degree/type of loss and generally not suitable for nerve related loss. Mostly they are analogue. Conductive loss is very well suited to analogue aids. Having said that I have had such fab results with the right digital aids in the last 3 years even from patients I was not sure if they would perceive increased benefit I have not fitted any analogue aids since June 2005 now.

Kerrymum would have to be a behind the ear aid due to the power needed for profound loss, again will depend on the loss would really be digital aid for best results, NHS? Models are sadly limited, Supero often the model used, very good though technolgy wise a bit old hat now, have many patients who still love em!!

Oh I didn't see that. I've got profound loss as well but its Cochlear not nerve damage - have they ruled out Cochlear damage at all for your DS do you know? Hope you are ok with it all

Carrielou thank you - I am fairly certain she has been suffering discomfort with her aids, but I'll have a chat with her tomorrow and find out more, and pick your brain a bit more, if that's ok?

PS Have no idea what a threshold test is....way back when they diagnosed me it was non of this gadgety stuff...just tapping with a lolly stick when you heard the sound.......gawd, I'm getting on...

Pick away Pinky will answer if anything rings any bells...

Threshold test is where you have to give a subjective response, i.e. respond if you decide you have heard (or felt) the sound rather than more automated testing. Press-the-button-for-each-sound-test.

Lovin the lolly stick test, I used to use the fisher price weebles and their toy boat and pictures in frames then watch for a reaction/see if said man went in the boat, generally watching the person closely for any reaction.

Carrie - when I was first tested, they had this mahoosive box with big dials etc and I knew that when I saw the audiologist turn/move his wrist, there would be a sound so I tapped away and came out with near perfect results....until they got wise to me and made me turn around and face the wall....

Puss, that is disgraceful, a so called professional assuming your eyes and brain dodn't work just because your ears don't. Though children are very clever with this (and I was also one of them!) My ENT consultant told my mum I was just lazy. I did not wear a hearing aid for years as I was so scared of him and yet now he is one of my patients and he is so so lovely!

Ok so I've had a chat with my MIL, and from what I can gather she has two different types of hearing loss, one in each ear.

The deafness she was born with is in her right ear which was always the worse ear has responded very well to the digital aid.

In her left ear the main problem is otoscelorosis- I don't know if this has been operated on, but it is clearly getting worse. Her consultant has said that the next option would be the BAHA, but she has not yet had the rod test, so I'm guessing this is the next step?

Hi Pinky, depends on what your MIL wants really, the op replaces one of the bones that has the most affect upon her hearing and is therefore a treatment (though will not return hearing to 'normal').

A hearing aid can not 'treat' but only 'aid' the hearing (that is left) though I would have imagined the first step would be a hearing aid to that ear also. If she has had aids to that ear already a possible next step could be a BAHA.

This would be very good if she has been having difficulty with actually being able to wear an aid in this ear due to infections/pain/otitis externa etc which I think you had mentioned earlier.

There are not too many hosptials that specialise in this procedure, in my area the two best are Birmingham and Southampton.

Hi carrielou, thanks for you reply. She has tried hearing aids in the affected ear but they are no longer having effect,including the recent digital ones so from your advice it sounds like her consultant is heading to the same conclusion as you.
She is awaiting a stomer reversal op this year which will need a big recovery, so I would imagine the BAHA would be the less invasive alternative to the ear surgery, given that she has so much else to deal with, and could also improve her hearing.
We are in Manchester and she is being treated at MRI.

So fingers crossed she gets results from the tests on Monday.

Your advice has been very reassuring, thank you!