Initial Decision

Good morning all!

When I first started wanting to use something to aid or boost my hearing I contacted an audiologist. After a hearing test we discussed several options. One of them being a traditional behind the ear hearing aid. I got a custom ear mold made and a loaner hearing aid to try for a couple weeks. My ear canal is severely enlarged from my previous surgeries. One of my biggest problems with cholesteatoma was that not enough air was getting in my ear to dry things out. Up until this year I had been told my entire life that I could not use a hearing aid because of the size of my mastoid (technical term for the hole in your ear). If you are being told that also, its a lie. So having that opening all plugged up was not desirable.  I did not like the plugged ear feeling and I was not getting that much better hearing so my audiologist and I decided this was not the best option for me.

We then discussed a SoundBite  and the Cochlear BAHA. I initially was leaning toward the SoundBite but I also needed amplification and only the BAHA offered that. So the next step was the hospital contacting insurance for pre approval and an appointment with the surgeon to discuss if I was a good candidate even though I had been seeing the surgeon yearly for check ups and he had been telling me about the BAHA for several years. What I remember most about that appointment is two of the worst case scenarios that could happen during surgery and since they drill into your skull there is risk for bleeding in the brain or spinal fluid leaking out. Yikes! Scary stuff. So take your time in making this big decision and weigh all your options.

I didn't ask my surgeon how many of these operations he had done, I should have.  I was also not aware that I could have the surgery performed elsewhere. When I later made my appointment to have my processor put on at the 3 month mark the scheduler asked where I had my surgery done because sometimes they had to have the processor shipped. My audiologist only mentioned to me 2 of the surgeons in the clinic. So, ask your audiologist where you can get the surgery done and explore all your options. Once again, I wish I would have.

I also want to mention that there is a newer supposedly better and faster surgery for the BAHA coming out or that is out. I am assuming I did not get this as that one is advertised as only having to wait 2 weeks to get your processor and I am still in the middle of waiting for my 3 month mark. (I just checked the website and I think they took the 2 weeks statement off so once again ask your surgeon how long you will have to wait to get your processor)

And if you are not in a hurry, there will be a new version coming out that is right now with the FDA for approval that uses magnets instead of a stud. You might want to consider waiting for that to become available. I was told it would not be available for several years but here it is, so that's one more thing I was misinformed about.

My audiologist told me that a lot of people with insurance will get the BAHA because it is covered and hearing aids are not. This led me to believe that it would be cheaper for me to get the BAHA. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! I just got a letter in the mail from the hospital only 2 months, 5 days and 1 statement after my surgery saying my balance of over $3,300 is due in 7 days or I am going to collections and if I come in for any appointments they will make me see a representative about paying. I am really hoping that is not there "nice' way of bulling me and trying to hold my processor hostage. So even if insurance will cover it and approves your surgery, there is still significant cost.

More Tomorrow, have a great day!

Here is a link to what the implant and processor look like: http://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/us/home/treatment-options-for-hearing-loss/bone-conduction-implants/how-the-baha-4-connect-system-works