Ready for BAHA? Will it help with...

[mellowrama]

Hi, I'm tentatively scheduled for a BAHA surgery Nov 12.  My head is still sore from translab, i guess the numbness is wearing off and feeling coming back.  Question; is a month from now too soon for more trauma to my head?   The doc had mentioned placing it higher above my ear to avoid the surgical area...I'm concerned as I don't want to rule out hat wearing as I'm very fair complected and wear a lot of hats.

Also, can the Baha help at all with tinnitus and hypercusis? I'm driving out of state for it...its just a day surgery right?

thanks, melinda

[leapyrtwins]

Melinda -

I'm not a doc, and everyone is different, but my neurotologist (did both my AN & my BAHA surgeries) told me I could demo the BAHA "when my head was healed" from the AN surgery.  His estimate of "healed" was 3 or 4 months.

I demo'd it @ 3 months and had the surgery @ 9 months (had to wait on insurance co. for approval).  My BAHA surgery was done with local anesthetic and my head was still very numb from the AN surgery - I had to ask my doc if he had injected the lidocaine into my skull because I never actually felt the needle go in.

Is it too soon for more trauma to your head?  Guess that's a question for your doctor.

I have a very fair complexion, but I don't wear a lot of hats.  My BAHA site is pretty much on top of my surgical area (I had retrosigmoid) and it hasn't been a problem except for one screw from my AN surgery that is pretty close to the surface of my skin (the skin was thinned out for the BAHA implant).  The head of the screw hasn't popped through yet, but if it does, my doc will just remove it with a screwdriver.

I don't have tinnitus of hypercusis, but according to what my doc told me a BAHA implant should affect neither.

The majority of BAHA surgeries are outpatient surgeries.  The only time I've heard of anyone being hospitalized for it was Jo - but she's from Canada and they seem to do things differently with the BAHA than we do here in the states.  However, even if you have local anesthesia - as opposed to general - your doc will probably tell you to have someone drive you home.

Jan

[JerseyGirl2]

Also, can the Baha help at all with tinnitus and hypercusis?

Melinda,

I can only speak for myself, but I've found that the BAHA neither increases nor decreases my level of tinnitus (which, thankfully, is pretty mild).

I had my BAHA surgery done at the same time as my AN surgery, so can't address your question of whether or not a month after AN surgery is too soon. Doing simultaneous AN/BAHA surgeries is quite routine at the facility where I had mine done, but not all doctors follow that particular protocol.

If you feel that the numbness from your translab is wearing off, you might want to prepare yourself for another bout of numbness following your BAHA procedure. Once again, since I had my translab and BAHA abutment done at the same time I can't really say whether the resultant numbness was due to one or the other or a combination thereof ... but my numbness was centered around the abutment, so I always assumed it was related to the BAHA. But don't worry -- the numbness will go away eventually.

Best wishes with your BAHA procedure and I hope you'll really enjoy the BAHA!

Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)

[Sam Rush]

I had to stay overnite in hospital after BAHA surgery because my blood pressure shot up and wouldn't come down. I was ok the next morning and drove the 5 hours home by myself with no problem.  BAHA had no effect, beneficial or detrimental, on my hyperacusis and tinnitus.

[jlamborn]

I had my translab in Dec of 2006 and my tinnitus increased dramatically once the balance and hearing nerve were cut to remove the tumor; i can't complain too much, though, because my facial nerve was spared pretty much (just stretched a bit, weakened right side at first after the surgery due to swelling, but pretty much back to normal after 8 months or so).  I had the BAHA implant a couple of years after the translab and have noticed no difference in the tinnitus level.  My "snap"  is just above my little crater l(he packed as much fat as he could in there right after the surgery where it was bulging, bug eventually sunk back in over time) eft from the translab just behind the ear.  The prodecure was nothing; just a day prodecure and was home in a few hours.  After living through translab, it was a piece of cake; back to work the next day.  Makes for an interesting conversation piece. 

[moe]

I also had the translab/BAHA done at the same time.
I would think it would be okay to get it done. Every doctor has their own opinion of course on timing. It might actually be better placed higher up. You'll  have that bald spot there so you won't have to worry as much about the hair being too short.
Good luck
Maureen

[tenai98]

I had the Baha surgery done 5.5 months after my translab...no pain for either surgery but head is more numb with baha then translab...which is great for changing of the dressing as I dont feel a thing...I wished I had had the two surgeries done at the same time but my doc wanted me to wait til after AN surgery to test both the bi-cross and Baha...
JO