Bone-anchored hearing aids (Baha) in XXXX : personal experience.

@entity1 @entity66 @entity532 @entity600 @entity9905 @entity1146 @entity393
AIMS: Aural @entity1146 is a @entity66 constituted by partial or complete lack of development of the external auditory canal, which is generally associated with @entity600 of the auricle and middle ear. Reconstruction of the auditory canal and correction of any deformities of the middle ear have yielded unpredictable results and variable functional outcomes, and there is a high rate of complications. Therefore, the use of bone-conduction hearing aids, such as the Baha, may represent a valid alternative for subjects who have conductive @entity393 with cochlear reserve that, as a rule, is fully conserved. The aim of this work is to reexamine our experience with the management of conductive and mixed @entity393 using the Baha system in @entity1 with bilateral aural @entity1146 . METHODS: We examined 31 @entity1 with bilateral @entity9905 in whom a Baha system had been implanted. The @entity1 , 16 males and 15 females, were between 5 and 14 years of age (mean 8.7). The following parameters were assessed for each @entity1 : mean preoperative air and bone conduction for frequencies between 0.5 and 4kHz; mean preoperative threshold with conventional bone-conduction hearing aids; mean postoperative threshold with the Baha system; improvement in quality of life evaluated with the Glasgow @entity1 's Benefit Inventory; rate and @entity532 . RESULTS: The mean preoperative air- and bone-conduction thresholds were 51.2  12.5 and 14.1  6.3dB HL, respectively. The mean preoperative threshold with a conventional bone-conduction hearing aid was 29.3  7.2dB HL, and the mean postoperative threshold with the Baha system was 18.1  7.5dB HL. Quality of life improved for all operated @entity1 . CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study of the Baha system to treat @entity1 with bilateral aural @entity1146 were extremely satisfactory compared both with those of surgical reconstruction of the auditory canal and those of traditional bone-conduction hearing aids. Furthermore, great improvement was noted in quality of life, while the rate of complications was very low. Therefore, we are convinced that the Baha system is the treatment of choice for @entity393 due to bilateral @entity9905 .
