ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: jaylogs on December 25, 2015, 12:12:47 am
-
So to recap my BAHA journey, which as you all know is a uniquely separate journey, I'll have to go back to 4 years ago. I got the implant done, and was waiting on the area to heal. It didn't. It got pretty gross, so much so we had to take the abutment out and then another surgery with a plastic surgeon to basically rearrange my scalp to get the bad area out of the BAHA site and healed up. Flash forward a little bit later and another surgery to put the abutment back in. Since that time, in the 4 or so years, I had issues with the skin around the abutment flaring up and leaking. It was a mess. So this last summer I went back to the ENT and he suggested we take the abutment out one more time, let the skin heal and try putting it back in again. So I went all summer and got everything nicely healed. Then a couple of months ago I had the abutment put back in one more time. So after ALL this I think we finally got it. My wife says it has never looked better. It's completely healed, no leaking, no nothing. I've been using the device and while I had to get it retuned, it's been beneficial. I am due for an upgrade in February, and the audiologist said I might consider going with the Ponto Power, because my programmed volume levels are approaching max levels. So maybe the bone density is a little incompatible with a normal Ponto. She also says that these things frequently go out after a couple of years and need repairing. As I am close to upgrade i'll just skip that as both my main and backup devices seem to be ok. So that's my journey, which seems to be pretty more involved than my AN side of things. You rarely hear of such issues of people getting BAHA's, but I thought I would be an exception to the rule..ya know, just to educate everyone about it all! LOL :)
So if anyone who is considering a BAHA, consider my case an extreme one...they usually don't go like this. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here or via PM, i'll be happy to help!
Jay
-
See reading stories like these, although rare, terrify me getting my procedure done. Was there a lot of pain having the abutment taken in and out, did they keep doing it in the same spot?
-
Hi Amanda! So don't worry too much about things like this happening. I know you know that every procedure that involves cutting you open always entails some sort of risk. And you are right, it's a rare thing that something like this happens. As far as the pain, there is very little, really. Taking the abutment out was very easy, not even a surgical procedure. Putting it back in is a little different because they had to recut the area to put it in. Yes, it goes back in the same area, because the implant itself wasn't compromised. So yes, after all this, it's FINALLY 100% and I don't anticipate anymore issues. It's never looked better! Thanks for asking! :)
Jay
-
So was that just a reaction to the abutment? I was reading some of the rare side affects and keep freaking myself out. Looking back on everything you went through with your BAHA would you say it was worth it?