Cross verses BAHA

[sidecar Kathy]

Hey all,
I haven't been on here in a long time.  Reading responses from people that have the Phonak Cros.  I am getting to try it out for 2 weeks to see if this is will work for me.  I get it Friday and I am excited to see how they work.  I just want to see if it will help give my good ear a boost with hearing better.

[mellowrama]

Just now jumping in - sorry to be late on input.  I don't come here often anymore but feel its important to let people know some of the downfalls of BAHA surgery,ec.  I had a BAHA implant and it never would heal, after 3 years of pain and antibiotics, I had another surgery to "fix" the skin problem and finally another to remove the post.  After it was removed, I was told the post was not in my head properly and would never had healed (Dr. Baker in OKC did that).

The pain and issues with the BAHA was worse than AN Translab surgery!  I would never recommend it based upon my experience...I would just go with something less invasive that probably works just as well.

I now have a bi-cros hearing aid.  Both aids were very similar in hearing for me, and neither good in loud/crowded areas. 

After all the expense and pain I now find its hardly worth wearing an aid as the background noises usually are too loud anyway.  I think the benefits of an aid depends a lot on your work/career situation.  Best wishes.

[movinguy]

mellorama - I agree 100%

Had my Cros for about 3 months now - helps in quiet environments but in a noisy room might as well just remove them . . .

[carjon0]

Hello,

I, too have fine hearing in my good ear, but severe/profound loss in my left ear. I do have a little hearing in the left ear, but functionally it's useless - I only have very high and very low pitch hearing with no speech at all. Because of this, a Baha is not an option apparently, so I have a cros.
It's purely to (hopefully) restore directionality which I have completely lost. Hearing aids can only amplify the hearing you have, they can't give back lost hearing - I was given a hearing aid initially fate  the gamma knife, but it was worse than not having the aid! Rustling a newspaper sounded
cartoon -noisy!
So far, to be honest, the cros isn't a huge success, but it's needed a couple of repairs and I hope it can have a proper assessment when I get it back.
It was no use in noisy places, or to hear conversations, but as I understand, that's not its function.

We're all different, but I hope this helps.

[Kristena]

My "procedure" is tomorrow morning (Friday the 13th--superstitious anyone?) Wish me luck! I'm way more nervous this time than for my craniotomy a year ago. MusicTracy, how are you doing?

There must be a promotion going on now, because I was asked to pick a free accessory. So I'm getting a wireless phone clip. It will be like my Baha is a bluetooth--and it can play music and stuff too! Bummer that I have to wait 3 months to experience the benefits.

[Kristena]

So that was a little more involved than I was prepared for. Apparently in my area they are pushing to have everyone implanted with the magnet version going forward. I said I didn't want that because it's so much larger (both inside and out), but I don't think the choice was mine. The Cochlear rep was at my surgery as well. They must have quite a few issues with infections and skin growing up around the post that they'd rather keep it enclosed.

I was planning for the simple puncture procedure with the post sticking out, but I got both the horseshoe-shaped incision to place the magnet, and they also had to cut away some of my titanium mesh from the retrosigmoid surgery a year ago to make room for the magnet! My head is still heavily bandaged, so I'm not exactly sure what it looks like under there yet. I was planning to return to work tomorrow, but I was told not to work for a week. I think I'll work from home tomorrow and play it by ear for Tuesday.

The good news is that I get my processor in 6 weeks versus 3 months with the post!

[MusicTracy]

I find it interesting you got the magnet option. My doctor told me I could not get it because of the MRIs I will need to watch the acoustic neuroma as I was treated with Gamma Knife.

I did not get the BAHA in the end. Two weeks before the surgery the insurance company informed me it was an exclusion on my policy. Found out the same day that the organization I've worked for for the last 13 years is ceasing operations June 30. My world has been turned upside down the past 2 months. So I've been busy searching for a new job which I begin on June 30th. Their insurance will kick in after 60 days so I'm going to see if it will cover the procedure. Still want the BAHA I may just have to wait a few more months. If it's not covered I may have to go with the Cros. Feel like I'm starting all over again.


 

[Kristena]

Well I have my next MRI on July 23. That will be the first time to see if my remaining tumor has grown at all since my surgery. I found a list of facts about MRIs on Cochlear's own website, and I brought that to my first post-op appt after the Baha magnet was implanted. It has all kinds of information about the settings for the MRIs, and how the MRI will leave a shadow for 4.5" from the magnet, and how the magnet will heat up during an extended MRI, etc. All he said was, "bring this to your next MRI appt." It didn't sound like he was very knowledgeable about it at all!

Is there anyone else out there who has been using the Cochlear Attract model of the Baha? What has your experience been? I feel a little like a guinea pig. It's been over 2 weeks since I had my "procedure," and I haven't been able to sleep on that side yet. Also taking glasses on and off is still a little tender. Now that the swelling has gone down, the magnet leaves quite a ridge that you can actually feel (and you don't want your glasses to get caught on it!)

[JeanneR]

I've had Cros for a few days.  I'm also having daily headaches,  ear pain on untreated schwannoma side.   I'm hoping the headaches stop soon, like others have reported. 

 How long did it take you to get used to Cros HAs ?   

Does anyone sing in a choir?   Mine make my voice sound tinny, rain barrel like.   Music  also sounds weird in a not so nice way.   Has anyone had any success getting settings programmed so that your own voice  sounds ok?     

[Echo]

Hi Jeanne,

I have the Phonak Audeo Q50 Bi Cros and absolutely love it.  I got mine in March of this year.  I started out wearing them all day, removing them as soon as I got home from work.  The pressure in the ear feeling went away by day 4 as did the daily headaches.  You can get the ear dome in various sizes so you may need to have your audiologist change them.  Both my ears bothered me up until day 4 and then I no longer had any discomfort.

As for the tinny sound, that should also be an easy adjustment.  The first day I picked up my hearing aids up the audiologist hooked them up to her computer to adjust the initial settings while I was wearing them.  The initial volume setting was so high my voice sounded exactly as you describe...tinny or coming from a rain barrel.  The audiologist turned the volume setting down until my voice sounded normal but somewhat louder to me when I spoke.  I believe she set the volume at 75% capacity.  I was still able to adjust the volume up or down through the remote but she recommended I try to keep the volume as high as was comfortable.

Since March I have had 3 additional visits where she has adjusted the volume program level - I am now at 90%.  Each time she makes sure my voice does not sound tinny and each time it takes me a few days to adjust to the louder level.

I don't know if many audiologists  help people adjust to wearing hearing aids in the same manner my audiologist has, but it made the transition for me very smooth and comfortable.  I'm now at the point where if I don't wear them things just don't sound right.

Hang in there and give yourself a chance to adjust to them.

Cathie 

[arizonajack]

I've had Cros for a few days.  I'm also having daily headaches,  ear pain on untreated schwannoma side.   I'm hoping the headaches stop soon, like others have reported. 

 How long did it take you to get used to Cros HAs ?   

I've had mine for over 2 years. I didn't have headaches or ear pain but they drove me crazy for a month having to reach up to push the volume buttons.

Then I discovered the MyPilot remote control and had my audiologist order me one.

http://www.phonak.com/com/b2c/en/products/wireless-accessories/products/mypilot/hearing-aid-accessory.html

If you don't have one of those, I highly recommend getting one. There is a cheaper remote controls without the screen (ComPilot, PilotOne) but having the screen is worth the extra cost.

Does anyone sing in a choir?   Mine make my voice sound tinny, rain barrel like.   Music  also sounds weird in a not so nice way.   Has anyone had any success getting settings programmed so that your own voice  sounds ok?     

With the remote control your hearing aids can be programmed for a variety of scenarios, including one for Music.

[Helena14]

I am SSD and have to make this decision: Cross or BAHA? 
I've read many posts about it and what I'm thinking now is:
- both of them are very helpful in quiet or not very noisy environments, so much less in noisy places
- BAHA requires sugery, cross doesn't..
- ... but you don't have to put anything in your good ear and BAHA is possibly cheaper than cross

I have tried phonak cross for nearly three weeks now, and I'm past the headache of the first days. I like it. It really makes it easier at university and in many everyday situations, but it could be better. Speech recognition isn't always great, it's expensive, it's annoying to have something in my good ear, in a noisy place I just take it off.

Another thing bothering me is the wireless connection. All those waves going through my brain  isn't that dangerous? Okay that it's a very low intensity, but still... Wearing it all day couldn't be a risk?

I know that nothing sill be like natural hearing but I'm trying to find out which solutions would be best for me.

How visible is the BAHA? I'm not planning to hide it all the times, but I'd like to be able to when I want. Will I be able to tie up my hair and still hide it? Like in a lose ponytail, or a braid.

[leapyrtwins]

BAHA is really not visible - unless you're a man who is bald.

I wear my hair very short for a woman (collar length) and no one can see my BAHA device.  It helps that it's brown (like my hair) but even if it were red I doubt anyone would notice it.

Most people aren't looking at the back of my head (unless they are behind me) and even then most of them aren't looking behind my ear.

The device sits very close to the skull; perhaps 1/8" away and the device isn't that thick.

I am one who ABSOLUTELY LOVES my BAHA and can't imagine life without it.  My opinion, not everyone's obviously, but it's been a Godsend to me and I've never regretted getting one.

Jan

PS - if the idea of the implant surgery is holding you back, don't let it.  It was the only thing that made me hesitate and it was nothing like my AN surgery.  Outpatient procedure.  Local anesthesia.  Walked out of the OR about 90 minutes after the procedure started.  Piece of cake 

[Helena14]

Thank you Jan  wearing a baha, are you able to hear someone whispering on your deaf side? How good is it in a noisy situation? Do you feel like turning/taking it off, or does it help?

[CHD63]

Hi Helena14 .....

I know you asked Jan this question, but just popping in here to add my experience.

I wear the Oticon Medical Ponto Pro baha and yes, I can hear someone whispering on my deaf side.  However, it is important to remember that all sounds coming in from the deaf side (when one has had the inner ear and nerve removed during a translab surgery) are bone-conducted (or transferred as in the case of Cross aids) to your hearing side.  Therefore, I still sometimes whirl around because I am not sure where the whisper is coming from.  In other words, directionality is still a problem, but that is the case with anyone who is single side deaf (SSD) regardless of what type of hearing assist is used or not used.

Hope that helps.  Clarice