ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: Puppylove on April 12, 2011, 11:03:41 am
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I had my BAHA surgery 2 weeks ago and am doing good. I have a question though...how difficult is it to clean the abutment area once your hair grows back? Right now, I'm using hydrogen proxide and polysporin on the area twice a day (per Dr. Friedman's orders). It's already a little difficult to get to the area because of my hair, but I'm able to do it, since half the area is shaved. I'm just wondering how I'll be able to see the area once my hair grows back (I have long, very thick hair).
Curious minds want to know :D
June 22nd is my big day (11 weeks and 1 day...not that I'm counting) ;D
Thanks,
Debbie
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I have to say, the only way I can see my abutment if if someone takes a picture of it and shows me. Maybe I need eyes on the side of my head? :D
I don't look at mine. I clean it in the shower and maybe once a week I use a baby toothbrush to give it a good scrubbing, but since it's healed, I don't really need to inspect it daily. If I had an issue, I'd probably just have my husband take a look and tell me if it looked okay. You also get used to what it is supposed to feel like so you can reach up and touch the area to see if it feels swollen or anything.
The doctor removes the soft tissue beneath the skin when he does the surgery, so some people actually have a little bald area around the abutment. I don't. I also have very thick hair and haven't had any problem keeping the abutment clean or attaching the processor. If your hair gets in the way, you can always have the person who cuts your hair trim it a bit around the abutment. My hairdresser in Nashville had another customer who was a BAHA wearer who used to need that done from time to time.
Once the area is healed and you're wearing your processor, it's much less maintenance and you won't need to be applying the peroxide or neosporin.
Hope June 22nd comes quickly for you! ;D
Lori
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I'm with Lori. The BAHA abutment doesn't need any special cleaning once it's healed.
I haven't used my Cochlear toothbrush in years. I simply wash the abutment when I wash my hair - usually daily - and I use my fingertips.
I've never had an infection, but maybe I'm just lucky. If you do choose to go the toothbrush route, make sure it's very soft (baby toothbrush) and make sure you don't use it too vigorously. Usually the BAHA site is numb for a long time so you may not be aware that you are vigorously cleaning (scrubbing) which can lead to irritation and potential infection.
Jan
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I put a mirror with a swivel arm on the wall so that I could see the area in my bathroom mirror. It is a makeup mirror with an 8x magnification on one side. I have found that it is great to see what is going on back there. I can also fold the mirror back against the wall so that it is out of the way.
Jim C.
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me too .. the only time I brush/clean it is when I'm really dirty... like when I've been fishing or something that gets me all sweaty.
note: my hair is short... so longer hair could need more cleaning... I'm sure this varies...
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Same here...I just wash my hair every day, and if I have been doing something dirty like unloading dirt from my truck, I may use an old toothbrush on it. It is titanium and is super tough.