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Author Topic: BAHA implant placement  (Read 4604 times)

grega

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BAHA implant placement
« on: April 30, 2009, 10:23:00 am »
Has anyone who now has baha after AN surgery .... or is considering baha .... had a catscan to make sure implant does not interfere with AN surgery site?  I believe titanium mesh covers the AN hole-in-the-head .... so am wondering if catscan is a normal part of the baha location process.

Thanks!  Greg
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1.5 cm AN retrosig 11/04.
Drs. Henry Brem & Michael Holliday @ Johns Hopkins, Baltimore
SSD right. Tinnitus big-time, only when thinking of it.
BAHA since 7/20/10 ... really helps w/ hearing, specially after programming in subliminal message: "Hey, don't listen to your tinnitus!"

leapyrtwins

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2009, 11:02:45 am »
Greg -

like you, I had retrosigmoid and have titanium mesh (and screws) in my head.  I also have belly fat.  But no I did not have a catscan - or any other kind of scan - prior to my BAHA implant surgery.

My doc - same one who did my AN surgery - noticed that one of the screws that hold together my mastoid bone is very close to the surface of the skin near my BAHA site.  But he told me if the head of the screw does ever pop through the skin, he can just remove it with a screwdriver.  I was a little shocked by this, but he acted like it was second nature to him  ::)

It's been almost 14 months since my implant surgery and the screw head hasn't popped through yet; but I keep checking it just in case.

Jan
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Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

lori67

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2009, 11:53:49 am »
No CT scan for me either.  I don't have any titanium mesh anyway.  The doc just basically felt around for "good bone" to put the screw in for the BAHA.  Mine is a little further back on my head than we would have liked, but that's just where he thought I'd get the best conduction.

The flap of skin they lift gives them a pretty good area to choose from when putting the post in, so I wouldn't think it should be necessary to scan first.

Lori
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Right 3cm AN diagnosed 1/2007.  Translab resection 2/20/07 by Dr. David Kaylie and Dr. Karl Hampf at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.  R side deafness, facial nerve paralysis.  Tarsorraphy and tear duct cauterization 5/2007.  BAHA implant 11/8/07. 7-12 nerve jump 9/26/08.

grega

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2009, 12:02:42 pm »
Thanks Jan & Lori for the feedback ... perhaps it won't be necessary .... I'll discuss further with my ENT doc. 
BTW, how does one add a pic to a post?  I'd like to get your opinion on a way to hide baha.

Greg
« Last Edit: April 30, 2009, 12:08:21 pm by grega »
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1.5 cm AN retrosig 11/04.
Drs. Henry Brem & Michael Holliday @ Johns Hopkins, Baltimore
SSD right. Tinnitus big-time, only when thinking of it.
BAHA since 7/20/10 ... really helps w/ hearing, specially after programming in subliminal message: "Hey, don't listen to your tinnitus!"

JerseyGirl2

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2009, 02:31:13 pm »
Quote from: lori67 on April 30, 2009, 11:53:49 am
The flap of skin they lift gives them a pretty good area to choose from when putting the post in, so I wouldn't think it should be necessary to scan first.

The "flap of skin" comment reminded me of something I learned at the ANA-NJ BAHA meeting last weekend. Apparently a number of surgeons are now doing a line of incision technique rather than the "flap of skin" method when implanting the BAHA abutment. The doctor who spoke at the meeting said that he's now transitioning to this newer method; I believe he said that it helps with the healing process (I guess a smaller amount of skin is impacted), but I don't recall all the details. He showed some pictures of the two methods and the single cut method looked considerably less invasive. I have no idea which method was used on me. Quite a few of the pictures he showed were pretty graphic, and I was awfully glad I had already been through the procedure! (I should add that I never did look at the BAHA surgery video that was posted on the forum ... so maybe I'm just overly squeamish.)

Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)
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Translab surgery and BAHA implant: House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, 1/2008
Drs. J. House, Schwartz, Wilkinson, and Stefan
BAHA Intenso, 6/2008
no facial, balance, or vision problems either before or after surgery ... just hearing loss
Monmouth County, NJ

lori67

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2009, 05:16:42 pm »
Quote from: grega on April 30, 2009, 12:02:42 pm
  I'd like to get your opinion on a way to hide baha.



Simple - just have Steve knit you a hat!   :D

Honestly though, it's not really that noticable - I realize I have plenty of hair to cover mine, but I wear it pulled back in a pony tail a lot and if people aren't specifically looking for something sticking out of the side of your head, they don't notice it.  And even if they do, it makes me feel like the bionic woman!

Lori
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Right 3cm AN diagnosed 1/2007.  Translab resection 2/20/07 by Dr. David Kaylie and Dr. Karl Hampf at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.  R side deafness, facial nerve paralysis.  Tarsorraphy and tear duct cauterization 5/2007.  BAHA implant 11/8/07. 7-12 nerve jump 9/26/08.

leapyrtwins

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2009, 09:35:39 pm »
Catherine -

the more you talk about the BAHA speech at the NJ ANA meeting, the more I wish I had flown out there to attend it.  It sounds like it was very interesting and very informative.

I did watch that BAHA video, but have to confess I had my hands over my eyes during all the "gory" parts.  So you aren't the only squeamish one.  I knew the BAHA surgery was a blood surgery from all the times my doc irrigated my head during the procedure, but I had no idea just how bloody it was until I watched the video  :P

Greg -

there's a couple of threads on the forum that tell you how to insert a picture in a post.  I'll search for them and give you a link.

Jan
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Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

leapyrtwins

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2009, 09:44:15 pm »
Greg -

couldn't find my thread, but here are the instructions I PM'd to someone recently.

Go to http://photobucket.com and sign up - it's free.

Once you move your photos to photobucket, it's easy to copy the image.  Look for a series of boxes under each photo that say "email & IM", "direct link", "HTML code" and "IMG code"  Position your mouse on IMG code and left click.  A yellow box that says "copied" will appear. 

Next go to the forum and create a new subject.  In the text of the post, just right click with your mouse and chose "paste".

You will see a set of brackets with the letters IMG in them and the address of your photobucket photo inserted between the brackets.

If you have numerous photos to post, just copy and paste each IMG code.

If you want to check and make sure your image(s) copied correctly, just "preview" your message before you hit "post" and you should see your photo in the preview box.

Good luck,

Jan

PS - if you don't want your pictures to be large, you can resize them in photobucket and make them smaller.
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Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

grega

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2009, 06:09:24 am »
Lori ... thinkin outside the box .... that's good !  ;D

Jan .. thanks for the info on pics ... I'll check it out when I get a round tuit ....... ;)

Greg
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1.5 cm AN retrosig 11/04.
Drs. Henry Brem & Michael Holliday @ Johns Hopkins, Baltimore
SSD right. Tinnitus big-time, only when thinking of it.
BAHA since 7/20/10 ... really helps w/ hearing, specially after programming in subliminal message: "Hey, don't listen to your tinnitus!"

lori67

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Re: BAHA implant placement
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2009, 09:01:29 am »
Quote from: grega on May 01, 2009, 06:09:24 am
Lori ... thinkin outside the box .... that's good !  ;D





My parents always said I was never inside the box to begin with!   :D
Logged
Right 3cm AN diagnosed 1/2007.  Translab resection 2/20/07 by Dr. David Kaylie and Dr. Karl Hampf at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.  R side deafness, facial nerve paralysis.  Tarsorraphy and tear duct cauterization 5/2007.  BAHA implant 11/8/07. 7-12 nerve jump 9/26/08.
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