Baha Placement for Middle Fosa

[another NY postie]

Hi.  I am scheduled for Baha surgery with Dr. CHoe in NYC (Wendy and Lauren's dr) on Oct. 18th and now I am getting cold feet.  I really don't know why because I didn't get cold feet with MAJOR brain surgery  but maybe because this is elective for me?!.  I am curious to hear from anyone who had middle fosa who has gotten a Baha.  I saw Dr. Choe in June and he did mention that the placement would be a little different but I can't remember how - I didn't want to have surgery over summer because I am in the water a lot swimming.  So my pre-op is the 7th and now I have tons of questions.  I wear glasses and I see some people do and some people don't have issues with glasses...anyone out there with middle fosa who had any glasses issues?  Where did your abuttment get placed?  I really don't know why I feel so nervous.  It seems like nothing compared to Middle Fosa and it is really just another screw to add to my collection in my head

Cheryl

[leapyrtwins]

Cheryl -

I had retrosigmoid before I had my BAHA implant, so I can't help you with those specific questions.

However, if you have any general questions about the BAHA - the processor, maintenance of the site, etc., - please don't hesitate to ask.

Good luck on the 18th - and if you don't get any responses to this post from others who had mid-fossa, I suggest you contact Dr. Choe and ask him about the placement.  I'm sure he'd be happy to answer your questions.

Are you getting a BP100 (aka BP3) from Cochlear? or a Ponto/Ponto Pro from Oticon?

Jan

[dalern]

Hi Cheryl,
My craniotomy was in a totally different location because it was not for an AN.  However, before my BAHA surgery, in the pre-op area, one of the resident's came in and asked if I wore glasses.  I do occasionally, but always were sunglasses outside.  Since my sunglasses have a thicker arm, they had me put them on and they drew a line with a marker on my head to trace where the sunglasses sat on my head.  I would be willing to bet that even though you had middle fossa, they will take that into consideration and appropriately place your BAHA.  Good luck.
~Dale

[another NY postie]

Thanks Dale and Jan.  I pm'd Lauren and Wendy and Sue and am feeling much better after their responses too...seems like it really is a piece of cake!.  Thanks for the idea with glasses.  I have my preop on the 7th so I can address all that.  Really don't know why I was feeling so chicken all of a sudden.  Didn't expect that!

I believe I am getting the B100 which is what I tested along with, I think, the Octicon product.  I did this in June so it seems far away and I probably didn't ask enough questions so I am definitely going to try them on again on the 7th just to make sure.  Didn't even know about the skin flap vs incision until the other day so need to ask about that too.  I told my husband if he isn't doing the incision yet, maybe I will volunteer to be his guinee pig!

Cheryl

[ksiwek]

Cheryl,

Good luck with your BAHA surgery...mine is October 7th...so we will be on the same timeline.  I have been nervous on and off, which is funny considering I made it through an 11 hours translab and c-section within 2 weeks of each other    I am just nervous about post-op infection (and one more incision to take care of!).  I was worried about incision type, too as in flap vs slit. I did ask Dr Friedman at House his thoughts and he said either is fine.  He didn't elaborate and I didn't question further...  As I have spent hundreds of hours in operating rooms, I think it is always good to go with what the surgeon is comfortable with. 

Good luck with pre-op!  Keep me posted on how it goes.  I am getting really excited about being able to use the device in 3 months!

[leapyrtwins]

Cheryl and Kris -

don't be nervous.  BAHA implant surgery is absolutely nothing like AN surgery - trust me on this.  Don't know if you chose local or general anesthesia, but if you chose local don't worry - I survived it and you will too.

You are both in the hands of excellent doctors and you'll be just fine.  Infections aren't very common, but if one crops up the doc will just prescribe something.

Just for the record, I had the flap and it wasn't a big deal.  I'm with Dr. Friedman on this - either way is fine - and with Kris - leave the choice up to the man with the drill 

I'm going to take the liberty of putting your big "dates" on the AN Calendar.  Hope you don't mind.

Best,

Jan

[jaylogs]

Hey Cheryl!! Good luck on the BAHA! I know you'll do just awesome!  You probably were feeling weird about it because it even though you did have your MF surgery, this whole thing's probably bringing back all those memories of everything that you went through to begin with. Like you said, it WAS brain surgery so that's why you are feeling the way you are feeling.  Anyways, glad to hear you are feeling better about things.  Let us know when your Gotcha day is!! Take care
Jay

[newmommyLA]

Cheryl,
I've followed you from the beginning and I was wondering if you would elect to do the Baha.  It is very hard in crowded rooms to hear people and I'm about to be in my best friend's wedding next month.  I realize that in a large crowd, most people say Baha doesn't help, but I'm dying to hear how it works for you.  You have been our fearless leader for so long, please keep us posted on how you feel and we will support you all the way.

Blessings for you,
Amy

[leapyrtwins]

Amy -

the BP100 (upgrade from the Divino) does help in noisy/crowded environments.  It's nowhere near what your "normal" hearing would be, and it's not perfect, but it's a huge improvement over the Divino.  The BP100 has 12 channels (Divino has 1 channel) which means that noise has lots more "places" to go and the wearer can hear more of what they want to hear (instead of background noise).

I've worn my BP100 in many noisy and crowded settings since April when I first upgraded and it's worked very well.  The only place I found it didn't work at all was in a large auditorium when my children graduated from 8th grade. 

Jan

[Kencutus]

I cannot say much for BP 100 but I will say this, surgery was a piece of cake for me at both times.  First time, under local with little sedation and wide awake.  It only took over an hour.  Second surgery took about 3 hours because I had an accident so the surgery was done bilaterally.  It was done under local with heavy sedation.   I cannot use general anesthesia with tube down my throat due to my Treacher's Collins Syndrome.  Everyone is different in how they might deal with surgery.  What ever you do, good luck on your surgery and I'm sure it will be a smooth sailing for you.

[another NY postie]

Amy, I don't know if there is anything noiser than a middle school with a bunch of 11-14 year olds wiggling around, but I spoke with another teacher, Sue, and she told me that it does help in the classroom...not so much in the hallways but that is a totally other story and I avoid those since my surgery....too much of a crush of humanity and puberty all mixed together! ...we will see!  I just read through Dale's Gotcha posts and it makes me very excited.  I was at the mall yesterday with really high ceilings and cement floors, and it was awful for hearing and for some reason, my 11 yr old always goes on my deaf side and talks to me...couldn't hear anything and then my 14 yr old said, don't worry, you are going to be hearing out of that side soon, mommy...I hope so!  Will definitely report!
And thanks to everyone for your encouragement...finally looking forward to it!
Cheryl

[leapyrtwins]

for some reason, my 11 yr old always goes on my deaf side and talks to me...couldn't hear anything and then my 14 yr old said, don't worry, you are going to be hearing out of that side soon, mommy...

Cheryl -

this was one of my biggest issues I had when I became SSD.  Both my kids - who were 10 when I had my AN surgery - insisted on talking to me on my deaf side and it was incredibly frustrating for them, as well as me.  I would actually take the shoulders of whichever child was talking on my left side and physically move them in front of my body over to my right side so we could have a conversation. 

The BAHA solved that problem - and many others for me   

Jan

[james e]

I had translab, and the implant done at the same time, using a slit rather than a flap. There was no problem tending the healing site. I wear glasses, and they never cause me any problems. I wear a hat outside, and that does cause problems. My hat band fits right on top of my BAHA and causes the BAHA to buzz unless I can get the hat to fit just right. If it is windy out side, I just turn the BAHA off or remove it. Your anxiety is pretty normal, but this is nothing compared to AN surgery. Since you are a swimmer, make sure you take the BAHA off when you swim...you will get used to wearing it and just forget you have it on. I've worn mine in the shower a few times, but realized I had it on before it got wet. You should have yours on by the Super Bowl!

[leapyrtwins]

Just wanted to note here - for all the hat wearers who are contemplating a BAHA - that docs will actually accomodate you.

My contacts @ Cochlear tell me that many docs let patients bring in their favorite hat and they'll gladly place the abutment in a slightly different spot to allow the patient to be able to wear their hat post op.

Jan