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New implant screw, new abutment, recent surgery

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james e:
AN trasnslab surgery 2010 and had the Cochlear BAHA screw installed in the same surgery. Abutment was attached after 90 days.

Almost immediately began having swelling around the abutment and a steroid application took care of it quickly. I am one of those people that have allergies on top of allergies. Probably twice a year I had swelling and used the steroid cream and it cleared up quickly. So here it is 14 years later and I decided to stop wearing my BAHA and my skin grew over the abutment. My doc said he could remove the abutment and my skin would grow over the implant screw OR he could remove the old abutment and put in a longer one that has a more modern shape and coating on it.

I elected to get a new abutment. My doc is scheduled through August so I said put me on the schedule. After another meeting he decided I had a lot of scaring around my old abutment that he was also going to install a new implant screw. He called about 10 days ago with an opening.

Checked into the hospital yesterday. They put me on a twilight medication and I was awake during the surgery. They drilled out the old screw and installed a new one . The new abutment is 2mm longer than my old one. Went home about an hour later. Took half of  a tablet for pain about 5 hours later and nothing after that. I have an appointment end of April to get my BAHA adjusted to match my new abutment. Will keep you up dated.

Glad I did it. BAHA is a plus in my life.

donjehle:
Thank you for sharing this, james e.  This is helpful information for those of us who may be considering BAHA surgery.

Best wishes on your continued recovery!
Don

james e:
Today is one week since my surgery. Similar to my original BAHA surgery, a “healing pad” or compression bandage was snapped onto my new abutment. It keeps a bandage compressed against the surgical site to reduce any bleeding. After 5 days I removed the healing pad from the abutment. Could not wash my hair all that time and that was driving me crazy, but a small price to pay.


There was almost no bleeding on the bandage. I have very minor swelling of my scalp just above the new abutment. I only took 1/2 tablet of codeine last Friday and have had zero pain since then. I have to use peroxide twice a day to clean the area and apply an antibiotic ointment after the cleaning.

Dr Kutz at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas did my surgery. Hopes this info helps someone.

donjehle:
Thanks for that helpful update!

james e:
April 29 I had an appointment with a PA to check my new abutment and she gave me the okay to start using my BAHA again. She set an appointment with an audiologist for that afternoon. There was a certified audiologist there and a student working on certification and I was going to be her final patient for here graduation and the conclusion of her Phd. She was moving on to the Cleveland Clinic. I am really happy I decided to get a new abutment and keep using my BAHA.

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