Saw a terrific audiologist and he says go with normal hearing aid!! Thoughts?

[Cynaburst]

I actually tried the regular hearing approach as a transcranial aid several years ago.  It really did nothing for me and I wound up giving it back after the trial period.  I had the audiologist (who was at the House Ear Clinic) put me in the booth and even she admitted that it did nothing to improve my word recognition scores.

Fast forward to the release of the Transear.  I read about it in the ANA newsletter and decided to give it another try.  The first generation TRansear improved my word recognition by around 70%.  I got an upgraded version a few months ago, and my word recognition improved by 90%.  It helps so much more.

I also did not have to have the latest version of my Transear adjusted at all.  It fit perfectly from the get go.  My first one needed some sanding and I did have an adjustment period, but not my new one..it just worked.

My advice is to go with the Transear.  It works so much better than what you are thinking about.

[amymeri]

Thanks for the replies everyone. 

I think it is interesting to see the reactions here.  I think it is a good thing to see how many people promote and defend their method because that means it really works for them.  I makes me feel more confident that something will work for me.  I think both the BAHA and Transear are possibilities for me.  It is entirely possible that the air conduction aid wont work  at all.  But it seems to be a quick and easy solution that might work for the few times I feel like I need it (mainly long car drives, etc). It is rare that I find my SSD being a big problem, so I am not sure that a surgical option is worth the benefit (for me) and there is something that just gives me the willies about having something snapped to my head. 

I did try to get the transear about 1 year ago and not a single audiologist in our area has any experience with them and the awful, stonewalling audiologist I worked with before basically dropped (threw) the ball on that one.  I think this new audiologist would work with me just fine if I decide to go that way.  But Christi's story illustrates why I would rather start with the easiest and then work up to the more invasive.  My SSD just isn't that troublesome that I want to spend weeks, multiple visits etc to get some hearing back.

I might change my mind after having a taste of hearing though.  So I will keep posting my experiences so that future SSDers can have another option if it works, or read my experiences if it doesn't work.

Amy

[amymeri]

Cynaburst

Thanks for your first person account.  It is very helpful.  I am going again in two weeks and will try the demo aid again and ask my audiologist to test me in the booth.  Good idea.

[JerseyGirl2]

  and there is something that just gives me the willies about having something snapped to my head. 

Amy,

I totally see your point -- the thought of both putting on and taking off the BAHA sound processor held a horrible "yuk" factor for me. I could envision pulling the abutment out along with the processor!

But you know what?  It didn't take long at all to get past that feeling -- just a few times and it soon became second nature. I had the same "yuk" factor when I started wearing contact lenses in high school -- the thought of intentionally sticking something on my eyeball was gross ... but I got over that very quickly, too.

While I most certainly subscribe to the theory that the BAHA isn't for everyone, I just want to lend some reassurance to those who are considering it. I had the implant done at the same time as my AN surgery, so I can't give an opinion on the implant surgery as a stand-alone procedure. But I think I've read enough comments on this forum to be pretty convinced that it's not that big a deal in the overall scheme of things. And I know that I surprised myself at how quickly I got over my squeamishness at "having a screw in my head" and "snapping a processor on and off" the abutment.

Catherine (JerseyGirl2)

[CHD63]

Just now reading this thread with interest.  Since I still have almost 20% of my hearing in my AN ear, I am using a traditional hearing aid, with mixed results.  I know I will never have normal hearing again and some distorted hearing is not necessarily better than no hearing so I am most interested in following this thread.

I have much dryness in my ear canal so anything inside my ear is problematical.

Clarice

[Karen]

I saw  the doctor that did my AN surgery yesterday.  He doesn't favor the BAHA.  He says 1 out o 3  have troble with the skin grrowing around the screw and with infections.  He prefers the cross aids.  Also wondering about this he said that the insurance will pay for the surgery and the screw for the BAHA but not for the actual hearing device.  Anyone else hear of that?  I have Health Alliance.  I am also interested in just the hearing aid.  Karen

[leapyrtwins]

Karen -

I have heard of insurance companies agreeing to pay for the BAHA surgery and the abutment, but not the processor.  I find this very strange, though, since the surgery without the processor is pointless. 

I'm very surprised that your doc said 1 out of 3 have trouble with skin growing the abutment of their BAHA - and with infections.  That may be his experience, but of those I know who have a BAHA - and there are many - very few have skin that grows around the abutment and even fewer have infections.  I had my BAHA surgery in March 2008 and have had neither of these issues. 

Most patients really like the BAHA.  My neurotologist favors the BAHA and the TransEar - doesn't favor the cros aids at all.  He has done over 250 implants and he tells me that only 2 of his patients had "issues".  One decided it just wasn't for her; stopped wearing the processor and let the skin grow over the abutment.  The other had an issue with the site healing and decided to abandon the entire thing.  Dr. Pensak, who spoke recently at the ANA Symposium about hearing options, favors the BAHA also.

Jan 

[amymeri]

My ENT favors the BAHA, no on earound here has done a Transear (which amazes me since it is a major medical center in this part of the state) and neither the ENTs or the Audiologists recommend the Bi-Cros

There has been some trouble getting insurances around here to pay for the processor.  The surgery itself is no problem.  I spoke to my audiologist and the issue is who orders the processor and how it is billed. If it is ALL billed through the surgeon it will be paid for, but if it is billed also through an audiologist (who usually takes over after surgery) then insurance refuses to pay for the processor, programming,  and follow up.

[leapyrtwins]

I spoke to my audiologist and the issue is who orders the processor and how it is billed. If it is ALL billed through the surgeon it will be paid for, but if it is billed also through an audiologist (who usually takes over after surgery) then insurance refuses to pay for the processor, programming,  and follow up.

Amy -

thanks for mentioning this.  I've never heard it before, but it makes sense. 

My Divino was paid 100% by my insurance company, but I can't recall whether it was billed by the hospital were I had the outpatient surgery or through my neurotologist's office - I'll have to dig out my bills and see.  I never received a bill from the audiologist - she works for the neurotologist and her services were all part of my post op followup.

Jan

[amymeri]

I think that is how my ENT/Audiologist will swing it when they start up with BAHA's again (there were insurance problems for awhile so they have postponed the surgeries for now). They also share a practice so are just trying to figure out how to bill and then divy it up on the practice side.

Insurance makes me CRAZY!  Why glasses are paid for but hearing aids, prosthetic legs, etc are not is a complete mystery.

[mellowrama]

Hi, thanks for this post and all the feedback!

I went to the Hough Ear Institute last week for a BAHA or aid consultation. Hands down they recommend BAHA for me (SSD).  I tried it out and thought it was amazing, but I am concerned about the cost, location of the post and skin irritation, as I have extremely sensitive skin. The Oto Doc recommended placing the post above my hear due to bone conductivity, and not getting it too close to the translab operating area.

I cannot imagine the hearing aid working as well, but would consider it as an option. 

The audiologist Dr. did mention to me that Octavio (?) the hearing aid company would be coming out with a device that could rival the BAHA, and they might be a better (less expense/stable company/etc) company as they would change the monopoly on bone anchored hearing devices....
Melinda

[mimoore]

Here I sit patiently waiting for the Transear to come to Canada so I can try it and then comment.
In the mean time I just cope.
Michelle 

[leapyrtwins]

The audiologist Dr. did mention to me that Octavio (?) the hearing aid company would be coming out with a device that could rival the BAHA, and they might be a better (less expense/stable company/etc) company as they would change the monopoly on bone anchored hearing devices....

Melinda -

I found the BAHA demo amazing also - which was a huge factor in my BAHA surgery decision.  My BAHA is located about 2 inches above and a little bit behind my left ear.  The site did interfere with my AN surgery hardware, so my head's a bit lumpy, but I don't mind.  I have very sensitive skin also and (knock on wood) my site healed well and I haven't experienced any infections.

The hearing aid company your audiologist mentioned is Octicon (located in New Jersey).  They currently make conventional hearing aids, but will be entering the BAHA market in October with their "Ponto".  My neurotologist told me at the ANA Symposium that Cochlear made the new BP100 (upgrade from a Divino) in response to the pending debut of the Ponto.   So perhaps, as you say, competition will be a good thing for all of us 

Michelle -

sorry to hear the TransEar still isn't available in Canada.  I thought I read somewhere on the Forum quite a while ago that it was going to be available soon.

Anyone have an update?

Jan

[leapyrtwins]

Well, Donnalynn, that truly is a bummer! 

Perhaps some enterprising member of the Forum, who is Canadian, should look into starting a company to provide TransEars.

I know where they could find a lot of customers 

Jan

[mimoore]

Well that stinks!
Does that mean our only option is the cros?
I am going to look into why it is not being taken on by companies here asap!
I am dealing with SSD but I do miss out on things and it can become very frustrating at times!!!!!!
Michelle