BAHA surgery question...PAINFUL??

[kma]

I had my a.n. surgery on February 6th and am now ssd (right side) as a result of my surgery.

I have been researching hearing "aid" options and after looking at the BAHA and TransEar, I am leaning more toward BAHA.  Because of the cost of my a.n. surgery, I've covered my deductable and just received a letter from my insurance company that they will pay 100% for BAHA.  They won't pay anything for TransEar because it's a hearing "aid" ~ not an implant.

So....I'm pretty much thinking BAHA.......but I'm nervous about PAIN.  My doctor only does local anesthetic for this procedure and I'm nervous about pain during surgery and AFTER. 

Can anyone out there who has had the surgery give me their HONEST opinion about the PAIN factor?

I know, I know.....I'm being a chicken.  It's just that I had a really hard time with my a.n. surgery and the first month after surgery was HORRIBLE ~ much harder than I expected and so I think I'm a little more nervous than I normally would be.

Thanks!! ~Kathy (kma)

[mikjul1]

I just had my Baha surgery it is a piece of cake not much pain at all. I am sure your an surgery was worse. As for Transear Baha blows it out of the water as far as quailty of sound and comfort I had the transear an just the Baha demo was better so I can just imagine what the implant is going to be like plus if you have alot of drainage or earwax bulit up watch out for the transear I get wax easy an it got uncomfortable against my ear drum. But that is just me.

[leapyrtwins]

Kathy -

I had my BAHA surgery 14 months ago with only local anesthetic.  My doc just shot lidocaine into my head.  I didn't feel a thing. 

My AN surgery wasn't painful - but it's definitely a much more intense surgery. 

For the BAHA I had the choice of having local or general anesthetic, but was told that my doc does about 90% of them with local so I figured I'd choose that option.

I have to admit I was a little nervous about not being put to sleep, but I was so thrilled to finally be having the surgery that the nervousness was pretty minimal.  My AN surgery was 9 months prior and I wasn't adjusting to SSD well at all 

Some of the sounds during the surgery are a little "interesting" but I didn't find them disturbing.  I could hear water running several times - which was actually my doc irrigating my head - and I also could hear the drill and feel a little pressure from it.  Most of the time I was so engaged in talking to the nurse sitting next to my head that I didn't really pay attention to what the doctor was doing.  And with all the drapes I had on me, I couldn't see what he was doing either.

Prior to the procedure my doc likened the sound of the drill to a trip to the dentist to have a cavity filled and he was correct.

I found the best part of having local anesthesia was not "recovering" from being knocked out.  Nothing to wake up from, no nausea, etc.  I could have literally walked out of the OR once the surgery was over, but they wouldn't let me.  I did walk out of the hospital though; no wheelchair.

As far as pain post op, I took some extra strength Tylenol the afternoon of the procedure and the next morning; then nothing after that.  Everyone's experience is different - including pain tolerance - but the surgery really is a piece of cake and generally not intensively painful.

If you have another questions, please feel free to ask me - or PM me, if you're more comfortable with that.

Best,

Jan

[Sefra22]

Hi Kathy,
I just had BAHA surgery 2 weeks ago. I can honestly say thatt he pain is minimal. In fact,I only took 2 of the hydrocodone they gave me. For me, I had a little pain on the top of my head. When I had GK in 2007, one of my nerves got "tapped" by the screws that holds the helmut in place. The BAHA implant site is less than 1/2 inch from that area, and I think that same nerve may have been affected. It is pretty much gone now.

I had general anesthesia, although I didn't know that I would be until right before the surgery. I had assumed that it would be local. I am recovering very well, and went back to work 2 days after. In hindsight, I probably should have taken about 3-4 days off. Not because of pain, but I was extremely fatigued for the first few days.

Hope this helps,
Lisa

[wendysig]

Hi Kathy,

I thought I'd chime in.  I had my BAHA surgery on January 5 of this year.  I also had local anesthetic, but with sedation which in simple terms means I was awake, most of the time anyway, just very relaxed and a little drowsy.  I felt no pain at all during surgery and went out to lunch with my husband after I left the hospital.  Later that day I did have some pain and took the Vicodan my doc prescribed that night and the next day.  I just used Tylenol for pain after that, it was enough to completely take care of any further discomfort I felt.  As the others have said, this surgery is a piece of cake, especially compared to AN surgery.  I have been using the processor for a month now and have to say I love my BAHA and recommend it very highly.  It's not quite  as good as natural hearing, but a great alternative to SSD.

Best wishes,
Wendy

[Tamara]

Hi Kathy,
  The actual pain from surgery and the implant is very minimal, as others have stated.  For a few months afterward, however, I had scalp pain from the site all the way to the top of my head.  Fortunately, it only hurt when it was touched, and that happened very infrequently.  My dr. said that this was not an uncommon occurrence - due to disruption of the nerves.  It wasn't disabling at all and most of the time, I forgot about it.  It was mostly kind of weird, and did go away.

Best wishes,
Tam

[grega]

Hi Kathy,

I'm looking forward to baha, and will probably opt for a local.  Sounds as if your doc will not do the operation with the general.  So, if that's of great concern to you, I suggest you check out other docs in your area who do the baha operation, if there are any.  My doc expressed that he has no problem if I sought another doc for the operation.  I would hope that your doc thinks likewise.

So there are options    .... good luck deciding

Greg

[leapyrtwins]

Kathy -

you might want to ask your doctor about the option that Wendy had.  Local with sedation.  If the sedation part would help relax you and put your mind at ease, I can't imagine a doctor refusing your request - unless there is some very good reason not to honor it.

Jan

[kma]

Do you think it's too soon after my a.n. surgery?  My family thinks I should wait a while to make sure I'm totally healed.  My doctor thought it wasn't too soon.  What do you think?

Kathy

[JerseyGirl2]

Hi, Kathy,

How do you feel about going ahead with your BAHA procedure? Since you have your doctor's go-ahead, sounds as though you should proceed if you feel you're ready. This isn't intended to discount your family's concern, but when all is said and done, you're the patient.

I should add that I'm in the camp that favors getting a BAHA sooner rather than later after SSD onset.

Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)

[leapyrtwins]

Kathy -

IMO if your doctor said your head is healed enough, then it's not too soon.  He should know.

I'm sure your family is mostly concerned because you're talking about another surgery and for them, it probably brings back shades of your recovery from the AN surgery.

Please reassure them that BAHA implant surgery is NOTHING like AN surgery.  It's a much quicker, faster, procedure with far fewer potential side-effects.  Most of us who had the BAHA surgery didn't have any "issues" whatsoever from it.

I'm also in that camp with Catherine (that favors a BAHA sooner rather than later) just because I remember how miserable and depressed I was by my SSD prior to my implant.  By the time I had insurance approval for the BAHA it was 9 months after my AN surgery.  Once I had the surgery I still had to wait 90 days before I could wear the processor.  Basically a whole year "wasted".

I should note here that others who opted for the BAHA probably weren't miserable and depressed like I was - most of them were probably just annoyed by their SSD and wanted to improve the situation.  Everyone is unique and some adjust to being SSD just fine - no BAHA or TransEar necessary.  Then there's me.  I found that I followed the whole SSD path kicking and screaming 

Jan

[Kaybo]

Kathy~
I know that you had a REALLY rough recovery (I was around your blog & read all of Dale's play by play entries & you seemed to have a doosie of a time) BUT from everything that I have ever heard, this is a WALK IN the PARK compared to AN surgery.  I think that the last 2 posts have 2 very good points:  #1 it is YOU - YOU have to make the ultimate decision #2 why waste time if your Dr. thinks it is OK?  I would go ahead and get it done while the insurance is willing - if you decide later that you don't HAVE to use it all the time, GREAT, but it is done & paid for!!  Especially in these times when jobs (w/ good insurance) and money is scare and unreliable.  I think it all boils down to if you DON'T get it now and then for some reason, CAN'T, will you always wonder or regret not doing it...Just my two cents...

K

[kma]

Kay~

You do seem to read my mind sometimes.  Yes, you are right, I would probably regret it.  I'm just really having
a case of nerves about how I would feel after the surgery.  I always thought I was super strong but it was so much
harder after my AN surgery ~ harder than I ever expected and I'm totally chicken about feeling lousy again. 

On a personal note, I hope things are going okay with your husband's job ~ so far so good I hope ~ and I hope all the
flu cases haven't effected your family. 

p.s.  I officially "graduated" from physical therapy this week!!  Yay ~ progress!!!  : )

~Kathy 

[leapyrtwins]

Kay -

very good perspective on this whole issue.  You bring up points I never thought about with the insurance. 

Kathy -

is the doctor who will do your BAHA the same one who did your AN surgery?  If so, you might want to talk to him about your concerns of feeling lousy.  I'm assuming you have a good level of trust and comfort with him, and perhaps he can put your mind at ease.  He'll certainly be familiar with what you went through after your AN surgery and will be able to tell you how the BAHA surgery is different.

I can you tell that it will be different, but you don't really know me - except through the forum - so your doctor's input might be more reassuring to you.

Congratulations on your graduation!

Jan

[Kaybo]

Kathy~
GIRLFRIEND, YOU are TOUGH and don't ever think differently!!  You have been thru the wringer and come out on the other side!!  

K