Introduction
- Bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) consists of a titanium screw that becomes osseointegrated in the skull bone behind the ear
- It is the only US-FDA approved bone conduction rehabilitation device available for clinical use
- An active bond between tissue and implant is created without capsule formation.The implant is not only accepted, but incorporated into the bone
Candidacy for BAHA
- Patients using conventional bc hearing aid
- Conventional ac hearing aid users with ○ Chronic otorhoea○ Chronic otitis media / externa○ Uncontrollable discharge due to radical mastoidectomy or large meatoplasty
- Otosclerosis, tympanosclerosis, canal atresia with a contraindication to repair for eg. ○ Only hearing ear○ Combination with above mentioned diseases
- Single sided deafness with better ear BC-PTA better than 45 db and sds>60%
Pre Operative Evaluation
- BC-PTA & SDS
- Aided audiograms in patients previously using hearing aids
- CT scan of temporal bone to assess bone thickness
Types of BAHA procedure
- BAHA SOFTBAND
- BAHA TWO-STAGE
- BAHA FAST
Where to insert implant
- 50-55mm posterior to the external auditory canal
- On or just below the linea temporalis
- Ideal location – thin , relatively immobile skin, sufficiently posterior so that processor will not touch the pinna
Post operative considerations
- Post operative speech therapy
- Post operative rehabilitation of the patient in society
Benefits of BAHA
- Works independently of ear canal and middle ear
- Direct transmission gives clear and natural sound
- Preoperative testing possible
- High wearing comfort
- Safe and minor surgery
- Predictable outcome