Tight healing cap on one side of the scalp ?

[mikjul1]

I have not had my healing cap on for about 3 weeks now I just put it on to try it out and it feels tight on one side of the scalp anybody else had that.Does the Baha sit up higher then the healing cap? 

[CHD63]

OK, I'm really going to show my ignorance now ...... what is a healing cap?  Is this something for BAHA users only?

Clarice

[leapyrtwins]

Mike -

not sure what you mean by a healing cap.  I had a white plastic "cap" that held the bandage on my BAHA site post op, but once the doc removed it I never saw it again.

Why would you want to put it back on? 

Or, am I confusing this "healing cap" with something else?

Regardless, I think the answer to your question is, as the BAHA site heals the "screw" calcifies to your skull.  I never really thought of it before, but I'd imagine that might "displace" the screw a little.  Not that that's a bad thing. 

I can also tell you from touching the screw in my skull (just now) that the top of the screw is closer to my skull than the bottom of the screw.  The bottom is by no means far away from my skull, but it is defintely farther away than the top is.  This is because when you eventually get to snap on your processor, there will be a little room between your processor and your skull.   If your processor was right up against your skull it would cause irritation to your skin - and it might even cause the processor not to work properly (I think - I'm not 100% sure of this last part). 

Bottomline, I think everything is fine.  The way your BAHA site was immediately post op (remember the "divot"?) is not how it will ultimately look once your 90 days are up and everything has healed.  You'll see changes, but that's the way the surgery is "designed".

Jan

[grega]

Jan .... good point when you said:

"If your processor was right up against your skull .... it might even cause the processor not to work properly..."

I was told, when I got the tester baha that it should not touch the ear because that would dampen the required vibrations.  Seems that the same goes for contact with the skull.

Greg

[mikjul1]

Jan, it is the white cap they give you when you are healing the little white circle cap that snaps into the abutment. it is tight to the top left sideof head cap touches head on one side. I think the sound processor has a longer neck on it that keeps it away from your head.

[leapyrtwins]

Thanks for the clarification, Mike.

Now that I'm certain you're talking about the white healing cap, is there any reason you want to wear it again?  As I mentioned in my previous post, once my doc removed mine - and the bandage it was holding in place over my site - about a week post op, I never wore it again.  In fact, the day he popped it off, it shot across the exam room and into the corner where he picked it up and promptly threw it in the trash can.  So much for keeping cherished surgical momentos! 

The processor does indeed have a "neck" or "post" on it that keeps it away from the skull, but it's really not that long.

[Tamara]

I kind of accidentally removed mine along with the bandage a day after surgery.  It still all worked out fine.

Tam

[mikjul1]

I think it was alittle swollen I had my Drs visit last Mon. and she saw small what looked like pimp so she cut it and push on my surgery site and clear stuff can out so she wanted to be safe and put me on antibotics for ten days    . But it feels better know I have been on the med. for 5 days now.

[wendysig]

Mike,

While I can certainly understand your curiousity, I'm not so sure you should be putting the healing cap on unless advised to do so by youir doc.  It just seems to me that it is best to leave the site alone to heal, you might actually be introducing bacteria to the area and causing an infection (?).  One thing you can try though, which I picked up from Jan is that I lightly scratched the abutment and could actually hear the sound in my good ear -- just amazing and kind of fun!  Just make sureyour hands are clean before you touch your abutment.

Wendy

[mikjul1]

My Dr. last Mon. gave me my Cochlear soft brush and said start using it. To keep the crustys away and twice aday push the clear liquid out until this monday when I see her again it feels beteer today.    Thanks Wendy for your concern