My daughter is 8 and her ENT has recommended BAHA. She has done two trials and has done amazing in both. My question is..... If she has they surgery done now, at 8, will she have to have follow-up surgeries to adjust the device as her body finishes growing? Thanks.
BAHA for child?
- Thread starter kaybe2424
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Interesting question. BAHA is pretty straightforward. She'll have a titanium bolt-like device put in her bone and the processor unit just attaches to it. It's also reversible.
Just want to make sure of one thing. You said she has done two great trials. I assume you mean she was fitted with an over-the-headband with the processor pressed against her mastoid?
Sorry, but studied up on this years ago and talked to an audiologist and ENT about it.
-- Sheri
Just want to make sure of one thing. You said she has done two great trials. I assume you mean she was fitted with an over-the-headband with the processor pressed against her mastoid?
Sorry, but studied up on this years ago and talked to an audiologist and ENT about it.
-- Sheri
If it was a headband, I only know of one type. It has a device that's placed on the bone just behind your ear and somehow transmits sounds through the bone. Hence, bone conduction hearing aid. I tried it a couple of times and I loved it (except for the pain - see below). What she used was the equivalent to a hearing aid. BAHA involves surgery and the results are the same. I explored it because the sound was GREAT but so was the pain with the headband. Also, I erred in my initial response - it's not a bolt (dummy me) it's a screw
. BAHA is placed on it.@1990, I remember going to a restaurant for lunch during work. I heard and understood what people were saying in the kitchen and it was not that close to where I was sitting. I loved the hearing part. It just felt like my head was in a vise clamp, so back it went.
In early 2000s, I went to my audiologist and asked her for the names of surgeons who did BAHA surgery. (This was in a very populated area of NJ and NYC was about 30 miles away to sort of give you an idea of my access.) The audiologist immediately gave me two names. I asked her who would tell me the truth as to whether it would work or not and not just do the surgery for the money. She immediately dropped off one surgeon's name. At that time, I did my research on it. It was reinvented or (dang, my vocab is not good) souped up and put on the market again because in the 70s it didn't sell well.
@2007, I went to a guy in NYC who had a good reputation. I had an audiogram done. I looked at my bone conduction. I knew I was borderline and when I lost more bone conduction, the device would be rendered useless. The doctor (Neil Sperling) came in and looked with a young entourage of students and said it would work for me. I pointed out that in a short period of time it would be useless. In other words, I disagreed with him and fortunately had the facts to back it up.
Neither the first nor second situation I encountered means that will happen to you. It's just a matter of being selective and careful. I guess I had just seen how awful so many hearing aid dealers were (backtracking ... sorry ... in 1997 went to yet another dude in NYC with an outstanding rep to investigate BAHA and I made it clear I mean CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR that's why I was coming to see them - had to take off work - only to find out he only did cochlear implants) that's I don't trust doctors too quickly.
I found a link from NIH (I checked the forum guidelines and it appears okay to post). BAHA: Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid
It's tedious reading. You would want to ensure that spending so much is going to help her. If she could actually wear the headband, why not go that route? I understand the headband worked and that makes her a great candidate for this if she has time and her bone conduction holds out.
Best of luck to you. I hope it all works out.
-- Sheri
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