Objectives: To study the effect of a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) in patients with unilateral conductive hearing loss. Study Design: Prospective evaluation on 18 subjects. Methods: Aided and unaided binaural hearing was assessed in the sound field using a sound localization test and a speech recognition in noise test with spatially separated sound and noise sources. The patients also filled out a disability-specific questionnaire. Patients: 13 out of the 18 subjects had normal hearing on one side and acquired conductive hearing loss in the other ear. The remaining 5 patients had a unilateral air-bone gap and mild symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss. Results: Sound localization with the BAHA improved significantly. Speech recognition in noise with spatially separated speech and noise sources also improved with the BAHA. Fitting a BAHA to patients with unilateral conductive hearing loss had a complementary effect on hearing. Questionnaire results showed that the BAHA was of obvious benefit in daily life. Conclusions: The BAHA proved to be a beneficial means to optimize binaural hearing in patients with severe (40–60 dB) unilateral conductive hearing loss according to audiometric data and patient outcome measures.

Keywords:
Bone-anchored hearing aid, Directional hearing, Conductive hearing loss
1.
Bosman AJ, Snik AFM, van der Pouw CTM, Mylanus EAM, Cremers CWRJ: Audiometric evaluation of bilaterally fitted bone-anchored hearing aids. Audiology 2001;40:158–167.
2.
Chung SM, Stephens SD: Factors influencing binaural hearing aid use. Br J Audiol 1986;20:129–140.
3.
Dutt SN, McDermott AL, Burrell SP, Cooper HR, Reid AP, Proops DW: Patient satisfaction with bilateral bone-anchored hearing aids: The Birmingham experience. J Laryngol Otol Suppl 2002;28:37–46.
4.
Håkansson B, Liden G, Tjellström A, Ringdahl A, Jacobsson M, Carlsson P, Erlandson BE: Ten years of experience with the Swedish bone-anchored hearing system. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl 1990;151:1–16.
5.
Hol MKS, Bosman AJ, Snik AFM, Mylanus EAM, Cremers CWRJ: Bone anchored hearing aid in unilateral inner ear deafness: 20 patients. Audiol Neurootol 2004;9:274–281.
6.
Markides A: Binaural Hearing Aids. London, Academic Press, 1977.
7.
Mylanus EAM, van der Pouw CTM, Snik AFM, Cremers CWRJ: Intraindividual comparison of the bone-anchored hearing aid and air-conduction hearing aids. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;124:271–276.
8.
Niparko JK, Cox KM, Lustig LR: Comparison of the bone-anchored hearing aid implantable hearing device with contralateral routing of offside signal amplification in the rehabilitation of unilateral deafness. Otol Neurotol 2003;24:73–78.
9.
Plomp R, Mimpen AM: Improving the reliability of testing the speech reception threshold for sentences. Audiology 1979;18:43–52.
10.
Priwin C, Stenfelt S, Granström G, Tjellström A, Håkansson B: Bilateral bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHAs): An audiometric evaluation. Laryngoscope 2004;114:77–84.
11.
Snik AFM, Beynon AJ, Mylanus EAM, van der Pouw CTM, Cremers CWRJ: Binaural application of the bone-anchored hearing aid. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1998;107:187–193.
12.
Snik AFM, Mylanus EAM, Cremers CWRJ: The bone-anchored hearing aid in patients with a unilateral air-bone gap. Otol Neurotol 2002;23:61–66.
13.
Snik AFM, Teunissen B, Cremers CWRJ: Speech recognition in patients after successful surgery for unilateral congenital ear anomalies. Laryngoscope 1994;104:1029–1034.
14.
van der Pouw KTM, Snik AFM, Cremers CWRJ: Audiometric results of bilateral bone-anchored hearing aid application in patients with bilateral congenital aural atresia. Laryngoscope 1998;108:548–553.
15.
Vaneecloo FM, Ruzza I, Hanson JN, Gerard T, Dehaussy J, Cory M, Arrouet C, Vincent C: The monaural pseudo-stereophonic hearing aid (BAHA) in unilateral total deafness: A study of 29 patients. Rev Laryngol Otol Rhinol (Bord) 2001;122:343–350.
16.
Wazen JJ, Caruso M, Tjellström A: Long-term results with the titanium bone-anchored hearing aid: The US experience. Am J Otol 1998;19:737–741.
17.
Wazen JJ, Spitzer J, Ghossaini SN, Kacker A, Zschommler A: Results of the bone-anchored hearing aid in unilateral hearing loss. Laryngoscope 2001;111:955–958.
18.
Wazen JJ, Spitzer JB, Ghossaini SN, Fayad JN, Niparko JK, Cox K, Brackmann DE, Soli SD: Transcranial contralateral cochlear stimulation in unilateral deafness. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003;129:248–254.
© 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel
2005
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.