Bone anchored hearing aids are the only implanted hearing replacement solution that work through direct bone conduction. Unlike standard hearing aids, BAHAs have no outer ear component and are therefore particularly appropriate for those with congenital anomalies in the structure of their outer ears (such as malformed or undeveloped pinnas or ear canals).
The BAHA also has been successfully implanted for people with sensorineural hearing loss limited to one side. This has made a tremendous difference to enhance one’s ability to hear from the “bad side.”
The BAHA implantation procedure is usually done under general anesthesia and causes very little pain or discomfort. A titanium fixture is surgically implanted in the skull bone behind the ear. After the fixture has fully integrated with the living bone, usually three months after insertion, the patient is fitted for a processor, which snaps onto the implanted fixture.
The BAHA transfers sound to a functioning cochlea via bone conduction; the processor vibrates the implanted fixture, which vibrates the skull and other bones along a pathway to the cochlea. The cochlea then performs its normal function, converting the vibrations into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret as sound.
