Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) in Singapore

A bone-anchored hearing aid is a surgically implanted gadget that transmits sound waves straight into the cochlear through the bones of your skull. A typical BAHA bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) has three parts:

1. Titanium implant
2. External connector
3. Sound processor

As bone-anchored hearing aids may restore partial hearing in people with certain types of hearing loss or for those ineligible for traditional hearing aids, you will need to undergo a thorough assessment to ascertain your eligibility. Moreover, the candidate may also have to consider several factors, such as age, medical history, hearing impairment, and lifestyle.

How many types of bone-anchored hearing aids are available?

 There are two types of BAHA bone-anchored hearing aids available:

• Abutment bone-anchored hearing aid:the implant comes through the skin of the scalp. A connecting abutment is attached to the implant. It is then secured to the sound processor, which resembles a small box.
• Magnetic bone-anchored hearing aid:the flat disc-shaped implant is placed under the skin. Meanwhile, the sound processor and its magnet sit on the skin of the scalp. They will then remain in place due to the magnetic attraction.

Besides the above for very young children who are not ready for surgery or anyone is not keen to undergo invasive surgery BAHA device can be worn with a soft band or headband called sound arc device

D&S Audiology works closely with experienced ENT surgeons to recommend which bone-anchored hearing aid suits you. Hence, before you are fitted with a BAHA, you must undergo hearing tests (link to service page) and assessments. The results of the tests will help an audiologist or an ENT surgeon to conclude whether an abutment bone-anchored hearing aid or a magnetic bone-anchored hearing aid is more suitable.

Benefits of bone-anchored hearing aids

Benefits of bone-anchored hearing aids are:

• Better result predictions
• Better sound quality
• Better comfort
• Less obvious
• More room for preoperative testing
• Omit pressure against the skin and skull
• Use the same advanced technology in premium hearing instruments

How do bone-anchored hearing aids work?

Bone-anchored hearing aids direct sound waves into the cochlea by passing through the bones of your skull. Part of the device must be surgically implanted; the process is as follows –
The procedure takes between 30 and 60 minutes. However, it depends on the type of bone-anchored hearing aid you are fitted for. Throughout the procedure, the ENT surgeon will:

1. Administer local or general anaesthesia to ensure your comfort.
2. Make a tiny incision behind your ear, where the implant will be placed.
3. Create a small hole (approximately three to four millimetres in diameter) in your mastoid bone, a part of your skull directly behind the ear.
4. Place the small titanium implant in the hole.
5. Place the connector on the implant.
6. Close the incision with stitches before applying surgical dressing.

The successful implantation of a bone-anchored hearing aid relies on osseointegration. In other words, the titanium implant provides stability by fusing with the bone. This fusion is necessary before attaching the sound processor to the external connection. However, each patient heals at  a different pace as it depends on your healing capacity. Additionally, it also depends on which type of BAHA you are fitted for. Be that as it may, it usually takes between two and three months to recover.

What is the difference between bone-anchored hearing aids and cochlear implants?

The key difference between the two is that bone-anchored hearing aids are suitable to treat conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, or single-sided deafness. Thus, BAHA hearing aids send sound waves directly to your inner ear. This results in the bones in your skull to vibrate to help you to hear sounds and conversations.

In comparison to BAHA,  cochlear implants directly stimulate your auditory nerve as they bypass your inner ear. That is why cochlear implants are more suitable for mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss and those with inner ear drum damage.