ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Hearing Issues => Topic started by: Evltwin on April 28, 2009, 02:34:42 pm
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Hello all I am new to ANA discussion forum and thought that I would start out with a question. Those of you who have the BAHA I would like to known what you think of the hearing aid and what are the pros and cons to getting the costly devise? All-in-all is it worth it? I see my ENT in May and was thinking about getting the procedure done. Do you have any suggestion for questions to ask the doctor? Thank you for your time.
Chad
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First off welcome to the site.I had my surgery for the baha last week and I can say this piece of cake so do not worry about the surgery part ;D . As for the divino part of it I only had the demo but let me tell you it was like natural hearing for me but judge for your self. They told me it would be even better with it in after surgery because of direct contact with bone.. But I am sure Jan and Lori can tell you more about it they have them in already. My son is going in may to and doing a baha consult with the Dr.Good Luck hope this helps. you also can go on the baha website at http://www.cochlearamericas.com/
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Hi Chad.
Did your doctor offer to let you try the demo BAHA? It gives you an idea of what the real thing will be like, although I've found the real thing to be better than the demo. If he doesn't have a demo for you to try, an audiologist should have one.
Also, did you look into insurance coverage (I ask because you mentioned the cost)? My insurance covered mine but it has to be coded as a prosthetic and not as a traditional hearing aid. I think many of the insurance companies are covering the BAHA - sometimes it takes a little work to get them to approve it, but to save you from having to pay for the whole thing, I think it's worth the effort.
Lori
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Hi, Chad and welcome to the forum ;D
Have to ask - are you really an evil twin? I have twins and they take turns being the evil one ;)
As for the BAHA, I absolutely LOVE mine. I had the surgery in March 2008, approximately 9 months after my AN surgery.
As Lori mentioned the demo is a great idea and I strongly suggest it. I had pretty much decided on the surgery before I tried the demo, but the demo just cemented the decision for me. I thought it was amazing!
I was lucky enough to have my insurance company cover the cost of both my BAHA surgery and the processor (tiny hearing aid). They don't cover conventional hearing aids, but as Lori said the BAHA is technically an implant or a prosthetic so insurance companies that don't cover hearing aids, tend to cover the BAHA. BAHAs are FDA approved and are even recognized by Medicare/Medicaid.
Pros - it's a huge improvement over being SSD; you wear nothing in your ear; you can easily upgrade from one processor to another (Divino vs Intenso) if you need a stronger device; the outpatient surgery is a piece of cake (I and 90% of my doc's patients had the implant surgery with local anesthetic); your insurance company may cover it.
Cons - although Mike feels it's like his natural hearing, I have found that the BAHA isn't like my "normal" hearing. But it's as close as I'll probably ever get again. The sound isn't great in a noisy, crowded room - but then again that's an issue for other hearing aids also. Directionality can be an issue - but I've found the directional microphone on the Divino helps this situation.
Mind if I ask where you're from and what doctor would potentially do your surgery? Someone on the forum might have experience with the same doctor.
Jan
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Boise, ID is on his profile. I have not have the pleasure of wearing it in the real world just the Drs. office so I can not wait to get it so I can. ;D
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Hi, Chad,
I've worn my BAHA (the Intenso model) almost a year (since June 2008) and I'm very happy with it.
When I have some more time I'm going to post some things I learned at an ANA-New Jersey meeting this past Sunday (4-26-09) which was devoted to BAHA information. An otologist/neurotologist who performs BAHA surgery spoke, and a representative from Cochlear was there with a test headband for interested people to try. Here are a couple of things that may be of interest to you as you decide whether to pursue a BAHA.
Re: the insurance issue -- be sure to refer to the BAHA as a prosthetic. The Cochlear rep said that the company was being very pro-active in referring to the BAHA as a Bone-Anchored Hearing Apparatus, not a Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid.
The doctor said that he always loans a prospective BAHA user a test headband for a week. If they feel as though it's improving their hearing capabilities he will suggest that they consider getting the implant. If they're not particularly impressed with the headband, he suggests that perhaps the BAHA may not be worthwhile for them.
He said he also makes sure that potential wearers fully understand that the BAHA will not eliminate or decrease the level of tinnitus they already experience (nor does it amplify or worsen the tinnitus) and that the BAHA will not restore the ability to localize sound. This was an interesting point -- he said that within a very short timeframe of becoming single-sided deaf -- possibly within just several weeks -- the brain permanently loses its ability to localize sound. I had actually thought my localization was getting better ... but I suppose that sometimes I just must be luckier at guessing the source of a sound. Whatever ... the BAHA certainly helps my ability to even hear the sound ... and that in itself is just fine!
As Jan said, when you're in a crowded, noisy room, the BAHA isn't going to enable you to hear everything like you used to, but it's still a huge help.
Best wishes as you consider your options!
Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)
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Hi Chad,
I can truly say that these fine folks who have responded to your question before me have helped me too. Get as much info from baha (just google it) and forum feedback as possible to settle your mind.
I'm also in the baha-decision mode, having tried the Intenso tester for couple weeks. Hope you're also able to try a tester. I'm still deciding, but only between the Divino and Intenso. I have calls and emails in to my audiologist and to Cochlear to understand what should be done for this decision, but nothing back yet So I pose this to all ..... what did your audiologist and/or ENT doc do or say regarding one unit or the other. Thanks for your thoughts.
Good luck, Chad, understanding it all.
Greg
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Greg -
I think the major difference between the Divino and the Intenso is the "power". My neurotologist left the choice of the processor up to me, but said that most patients with "normal" hearing on their non-AN side find that the Divino is powerful enough for them. In his opinion, the Intenso is a better choice for those with less than 100% hearing in the non-AN ear.
Since my non-AN ear has no hearing issues, I went with the Divino. Part of the plan we decided on is that as time goes on and I age and potentially lose some of the hearing in my non-AN ear I will switch to the Intenso.
IMO one of the nice things about the BAHA is that you can make a change like this easily. The abutment remains in your head, you just get a new processor.
The other difference I've heard about from reading posts on the forum is that the Intenso, unlike the Divino, does not have a directional microphone. I've found the directional microphone on the Divino very helpful and I think Lori mentioned somewhere that she does too.
I'm not totally sure, but I think I've read that the Intenso, while still very tiny, is a little larger than the Divino. Catherine could give us input on that - so I'll defer to her.
Jan
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Chad,
I had my BAHA surgery in January and have been using the processor since April 3. I have to say that I love my BAHA and would have the surgery again in a heartbeat. For me, everything was covered by my insurance, I just had a small co-payment, but I would have paid for the surgery and/or processor if necessary and felt it was worth it. The surgery is a piece of cake and didn't have much pain afterward. The benefit I get from the processor, which I wear from the time I get up until I go to bed is great. Although it has its limitations it is a HUGE improvement over being SSD. It does take some getting used to though. It's kind of strange hearing sound on your deaf side being transmitted to your other ear. Although I can't tell if sound is coming from my left or right, I can tell when it's coming from behind me. It's also great to be able to hear the person sitting in the passenger seatclerly when I;m driving. BAHA has improved the quality of my life in many ways, these are just the ones that stand out to me right now. Since you're looking for advice, I'd say, try the demo and if you like what you hear -- gio fir it!
Best wishes,
Wendy
Chad -- My surgeon recommended Intenso because the hearing in my good ear is not perfect. I opted for Divino because of the directional microphone though(he thought I would do okay with Divino too or I would have gone with his recommendation -- Intenso doesn't have this feature,but is more powerful) and am happy with it. My insurance company will replace the processor every five years, so if I feel like I need to upgrade to the Intenso at that time, I will.
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Thanks Jan & Wendy!
See what I said Chad .... very helpful feedback from those in the know!
Keep smiling ;D ...... Greg
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Great information everyone. Like Greg, I'm in BAHA decision mode. I don't think I want surgery again until late fall, maybe around the time of my one year translab anniversary. How long does it take to recover from the surgery? I know it's nothing like brain surgery, but you all often speak of the big bandage, and going under general and I'm wondering if it's a bit more extensive than I thought. How long do you have to lay off exercise (like running)? Do you feel like you're going to shake the processor loose in your head from exercise? ! (like I was afraid that when I ran for the first time post op I was going to explode my brain!)
Thanks,
Keri
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The audiologist at L.A.'s House Institute (where I had my AN surgery and BAHA implant) recommended the Intenso model since the hearing in my good ear isn't 100% (combination of aging and genetics in my case). I went with her suggestion. The Intenso is larger than the Divino -- mainly a bit "thicker" -- but I have absolutely no problem at all concealing it with my fairly short, layered hairstyle -- and the choice of colors allows one to get an amazingly good match. Guys with very short hairstyles may find it challenging to conceal either the Intenso or Divino, but I wouldn't let that issue be a deal breaker.
The Intenso doesn't have a directional microphone (my understandiing is that the resultant increased power was deemed more desirable when the Intenso was designed) ... but it does have a handy "2nd setting" option which helps to screen out background noise, and I find that I'm tending to use that setting routinely with good results. Re: Wendy's statement that while she can't determine left-right directionality, she can determine that a given sound is coming from behind, I think I could say the same thing. I honestly don't know whether it's the BAHA or just a heightened dependency on visual cues -- or a combination of the two.
Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)
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Hi, Keri,
I'll definitely defer to Jan, Lori, Wendy, and others who had the BAHA surgery at some point after their AN surgery (I had my BAHA implant at the same time as my translab, and it was an absolute non-issue in terms of recovery). I think you'll find that they will agree it's not a big deal -- similar to a dental procedure -- and many (maybe most?) have the procedure done under local rather than general anesthesia. The doctor who spoke at the ANA-NJ meeting I attended last weekend stressed that it's a very simple procedure.
As far as feeling as though you're going to shake the processor loose while exercising, etc., I would say no. Once you're used to wearing it (and that won't be long), you'll hardly know that it's on your head. A little tether device is supplied with the processor (you can clip the string -- similar to a fishing line -- to the processor and then to your shirt collar or whatever), but I've never removed it from its packaging. I think it's mainly designed for kids who use BAHAs. If you're ever doing something that you think may dislodge your BAHA, just don't wear it! My only issue (and it didn't last long) was the "yuck" factor involved with snapping something on and off my head. It was reminiscent of learning to wear contact lenses -- the thought of sticking something on your eyeball takes some adjustment, but once you've done it a few times, it becomes totally second nature and you don't even think about it.
Catherine (Jersey Girl 2)
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WOW .... thanks Catherine .... great analogy re contacts, which I remember. This is all great advice. Great that ANA-NJ had the baha speaker to answer questions and let people try the units.
Sure it'll be hard to hide, but that's lowest on my priority list. And for any future roles (comm'y theatre), I'll probably remove it and use spray paint .... whoa! ... make that make-up .... to cover the bald spot ... haha!
I have spoken with Anne Marie Autry at Cochlear Americas (800-523-5798), who said the 2-yr warranty starts when you're fitted with the processor. An extended warranty is also available, but you can decide up to 90 days before regular warranty expires.
Back to Chad .... don't stop asking questions .... they're all important ... and this forum is the place to ask.
;D Greg
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Keri,
I didn't have a big bandage - I had the healing cap, which is like a styrofoam washer that snaps right over the abuttment and then some gauze over it, which was hidden by my hair. I only had to keep the bandage on for a few days, during which I was allowed to wash my hair. I realize my doctor does things a little differently than what others seem to do, but it worked for me.
I had general instead of local, only because I'm a chicken and I didn't want to hear, see or smell any of what was going on in the OR. As a nurse, I've seen enough, thank you! It was an easy procedure - I was in at 10am and home by 3pm - and that included a stop for ice cream on the way home.
I wasn't told that I had to hold off on exercise after the surgery, but I suppose it would be best to ask your doctor specifically. I'm sure if you're not planning on playing hockey or rugby, you'd be okay. I don't wear my processor when running...not because I can't but just because... well, I'm lazy and haven't really done any running. And since most people I know haven't had brain surgery, I figure I have a good excuse. I don't tell them about you!! :D But, the processor snaps on there pretty well and I've found you really have to knock it on something for it to fall off.
Greg, once the area heals, your hair should pretty much cover the bald spot. And the processor comes in different colors to match your hair, so I'll bet no one would even notice if you were wearing it on stage. Or you could just choose roles that require the use of a hat!
Lori
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Keri -
I only had a BAHA "hat" for 24 hours and then was able to remove it - pictures are on the forum somewhere (search under BAHA hat).
Then, like Lori, I had a healing cap for about a week. My healing cap was small, round, and plastic and held down a square piece of pink foam bandage that covered my site. Once my hat was removed, no one had any idea I was wearing the pink bandage and cap; my hair covered it.
I was able to wash my hair 24 hours post op if I held a cup over the BAHA site to keep it from getting wet.
I had the implant surgery about 9 months after my AN surgery and it was NOTHING like the AN surgery. BAHA surgery is done on an outpatient basis and generally takes about 90 minutes - but may take a little longer if general anesthesia is used. I had local anesthesia (lidocaine injected into my head) and was awake during the entire procedure. Sounds a little grizzly, but it worked out fine for me. No pain whatsoever. The sights and smells weren't extremely pleasant, but they weren't totally horrendous either.
I had a little pain the day of the procedure and the following day and took Extra-Strength Tylenol for it.
Recovery was basically easy. I took off work the day of the procedure but went to my son's volleyball game that afternoon. I got some strange looks, but that was about it ::) I also took off work the following morning since I was still wearing my "hat" at that point and thought some of my colleagues might be bothered by it.
I had no infection or other concerns; healed well; and was able to attach my processor 3 months post op just like my doc planned.
Everyone is different, and different docs have different "rules", but I don't think you'll encounter anything major during or after the surgery if you elect to have it.
Greg -
Lori's right about the bald spot. The hair around my abutment looks much better than I thought it would. I figured I'd have a huge bald spot, but that's far from the case. I think at one point I even asked my doc if he was sure he'd taken enough hair off my head, but he assured me he did everything just right.
Jan
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I only had a BAHA "hat" for 24 hours and then was able to remove it - pictures are on the forum somewhere (search under BAHA hat).
Jan's BAHA Hat :) thanks for sharing the piccies, Jan! :)
http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=6035.0
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Hey Greg, My ENT said that the intenso might be to strong for me because the divino that I tried on the demo was only at the2 volume level what is your demo set at. I just had the surgery and it is a piece cake.
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Thanks for posting the link to my "hat" pictures, Phyl.
I didn't have time to search for it earlier today - posting to the forum while @ work :o
Jan
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Thank you all for the pictures and the info!
Keri
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Hey, no problem, Keri.
It's what we're here for ;D
If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.
I asked lots of them prior to my BAHA surgery - some I'm sure BAHA users rolled their eyes at - but it's important to be comfortable with your decision. And to give credit to those who answered my questions, everyone was very patient with me.
Jan
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Good morning all!
Ditto-ing Keri on the thanks for pics ...... and Phyl, seems as if you have quite a memory to be able to find pics at the drop-of-the-hat .... hopefully not one of Steve's fine hats.
Perhaps if the ENT doc errs on the side of too much hair removed, I'll just request it be combined with my existing bald spot .... yeh I know, stuff happens, including guys' bald spots!
Mike, by several of your and others' posts, I'm at ease regarding surgery, which I have not yet planned. Re the Intenso tester, I got quite a bit of feedback at highest setting, so it was usually at 2-ish. I'm leaning toward the Divino, based on your and Jan's info, my good ear ain't too bad, and I'm really interested in the directional mic.
BTW, Phyl, even tho someone in this forum recently said there are no dumb questions, I have a dumb question ... what's "PBW" under your pic?
;D .... Greg
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i askd the big pbw (pwb?) question also in a couple of posts (forgot where i asked)!! i remember reading the answer last night - you have to go read the "Good Morning" post under AN Community. I haven't read that yet. one time i looked at it and saw it was about 4,000 pages, and i thought 'i'll do that later!' so, when i have some time this evening, and am relaxing with a nice glass of wine, i will read it!
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"PBW" is Princess Batty Wench, if I'm not mistaken, and yes, you'd have to read the "Good Morning" post, though not all 9000 pages, or whatever it's up to, to understand. Although I have no official title on the vessel (like official breeze conjurer, like Pooter, or Cursed Cruise Director, like Phyl), I like to think I'm still "on board".
Back to the BAHA - as everyone has pointed out, the surgery is easy. I had general anaesthetic, but only because I wasn't offered an option. Had surgery at 8 am - out to lunch with my husband by noon, driving my son (OK, against recommendations ::)) to orchestra later that afternoon.
Although I like the BAHA a lot, I did not find it life-altering. Mainly, the little annoyances of being SSD are gone - I don't say "What?" as often, and I don't have to swivel around to hear out the car window at the drive-through. The quality of sound to me is very tinny, like old recordings you hear from the '20's.
Also, FYI, you are also given a plastic "cap" with your BAHA kit - if you are not wearing the BAHA and don't want the device itself or the metal abutment to show, you can just snap this on. The example I was given is if you're going to be in a formal portrait, or something like that. It probably isn't an issue for most women, but might be useful for the guys.
Best Wishes,
Tam
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Thanks Tam .... I read a plethora of posts on "Good Morning" but PBW didn't pop out at me. Then I caught the Shakespeare Insult Generator website on the last page, which started my daily chuckles, and I completely forgot about looking for PBW. Thanks for the definition.
Yep, the Intenso tester was a bit tinny ..... I'll try the Divino soon. I expect the chosen unit to give better sound than testers because of the direct bone conduction.
Glad that you're "Continuing to improve"
:) Greg
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Although I like the BAHA a lot, I did not find it life-altering. Mainly, the little annoyances of being SSD are gone - I don't say "What?" as often, and I don't have to swivel around to hear out the car window at the drive-through. The quality of sound to me is very tinny, like old recordings you hear from the '20's.
Tam -
I'm really sorry to hear that. I do find the BAHA life-altering, but then I totally hated being SSD so that could be why. I don't think I really adapted to it on any level; actually found it highly depressing.
I don't have an issues with the sound quality of my processor. It's definitely not like "normal" hearing, but I don't find it tinny at all. It took a little while to get used to hearing my own voice the first few weeks I wore my Divino, but now it's become second nature to me and I'm not conscious of it at all.
I'm glad to hear though that you like your BAHA :)
Jan
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Thank you all for all the great information. It appears that my decision is a no brainer (no pun intended) I will get a BAHA. Thanks again for all the info and keep up with the great suggestions.
Chad
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Chad you will not regret it man. ;D
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IMO a BAHA is a great decision, Chad.
When you do schedule your surgery, please let us know.
Once you have a "date," if you PM me your address I'll send you one of Lori's and my famous BAHA Recovery Kits ;D
Jan
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HAAAAAA the chocolate and if he does not want it well you no my address just kidding ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D you will like the recovery kit Chad it was a very nice thing that Jan and Lori are doing for people. Yes please let us know you date. Good luck
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Chad,
I'm coming back to this thread a little late in the discussion. I guess not everyone will feel that BAHA alters your life. Like Jan, I found being SSD very difficult. BAHA has changed my life and made it better. I think the thing is, you have to keep your expectations realistic. I was afraid my expectations were too high, but after reading about BAHA both here and on other sites, I think I had very realistic expectations. In fact, BAHA has exceeded my initial expectations. That's not to say that it doesn't have its limitations.
I was recently on vacation in Florida and visited a couple of the Disney parks. I found my BAHA to really be only minimally helpful at the parks (it was just too crowded and noisy and BAHA doesn't work well in noisy environments) but completely secure as far as how well it was attached to my abutment. I wore the safety line for just in case purposes but found that that did detach from my clothing. Luckily I had a safety pin with me and attached it to the safety line and pinned it to my blouse and that did the trick, even though it turned out to be unnecessary. The device itself stayed firmly planted on my abutment throughout the day on all the rides, although I was careful not to let my head hit anything. I also checked fairly often to make sure it was still there. BAHA, like any other assisstive device, has its limitatiions. In my humble opinion, although I love my BAHA, and recommend it very highly in every other way, the amount of concern I had about it falling off outweighed any benefit and I wouldn't wear it to an amusement park again. As for the tinniness that Tammy mentioned, I find that if I hear sound directly through the processor (i.e. using the phone on my deaf side) the sound does have a tinny quality. However, in normal conversation the sound is pretty close to normal. Also, I have also been able to localize sound that is coming from behind me -- a big plus in my opinion. I haven't been able to localize sound coming from any other direction though. Since I am SSD on my right, all sound comes to my left ear and sounds like it's coming from my left. I hope that, someday, I'll have better luck with that. I know some people have to varying degrees.
Wendy
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Hi all,
I did not mean for my comment (the BAHA not being life-altering) to be taken as a BAD thing. On the contrary, I like it a lot, and would certainly do it again. I have been effectively SSD for probably close to a decade, so maybe that has something to do with it. I guess I just didn't have any "BAHA moments" as they've been described. Again, not a bad thing at all. I appreciate that the annoyances of being SSD are greatly minimized.
Best of luck to those beginning the BAHA process!
Tam
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I have been effectively SSD for probably close to a decade, so maybe that has something to do with it. I guess I just didn't have any "BAHA moments" as they've been described.
Tam,
I think your comment is on target. From all that I've heard/read/experienced, the longer one has been SSD (and has adjusted at least reasonably well to the situation) the less likely they are to experience a "wow" moment when they first get the processor. Doesn't mean the BAHA is not appreciated or quite useful -- it's just a more subtle improvement. I'm sure that there are exceptions to this -- Mike, on this forum, who's been SSD for many years apparently experienced a "wow" moment with the BAHA demo.
Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)
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Tam -
I didn't take your comment on the BAHA not being life-altering as a "bad" thing - and I hope my response didn't give you that impression :-[ If it did, I apologize.
The forum is full of people with lots of different opinions and experiences - which makes it the great place that it is. And just because your opinion and/or experience was different from mine, doesn't make it a bad thing.
I really enjoy hearing what everyone thinks - the same way I love to read about how different docs have different "rules" and techniques when it comes to AN and BAHA surgeries.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the BAHA.
Jan
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Well all I have my surgery tomorrow morning to get my BAHA. ;D I can’t wait to wear my “hat�. ::) I plan to scare people because I have a neighborhood garage sale on Saturday. ;D Ill keep you all posted.
Chad
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Good luck let us know how it goes. ;D
Mike Corso
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Chad?? :o Seriously?
You didn't give me time to offer you Lori and my free BAHA Recovery Kit. Oh well, we'll just move on to the next lucky recipient ;)
Congratulations on your impending surgery. Tomorrow is the 1st anniversay of my BAHA Gotcha Day (the day I got to attach my Divino for the very first time) and I couldn't be more thrilled. I hope you love your BAHA as much as I love mine ;D Great choice!
Do we get pictures of you in your beautiful "hat"?
Jan
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This could be a stupid question, but when you use your ipod if you have a BAHA, do you ever put the other earphone in the BAHA ear? I know it picks up vibrations - how does that work?
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Keri -
not a stupid question at all. I can't speak for everyone, but I've never tried my iPod in my SSD ear.
Long before I got my BAHA implant, when I first came SSD from my AN surgery, I bought myself a mono-plus adaptor and a single ear phone from Radio Shack. It was a very small investment - less than $10 - and it works wonders. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102690&tab=summary
Cochlear does offer an iPod adapter that somehow plugs into their processors (Divino and Intenso) but it's pricey so I never purchased one. I know Sam Rush did and I think he likes it, but I don't know the specifics.
Jan
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I'll second that, Jan. I really love the mono-plug. My sound quality on the BAHA is such that I wouldn't care to use it for music anyway.
Tam