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Are you struggling with single-sided deafness (SSD), conductive hearing loss or mixed hearing loss? A bone conduction implant solution for hearing loss, like the Cochlear™ Baha® System, differs from other solutions like CROS hearing aids, conventional hearing aids, middle ear surgery and leaving your hearing loss untreated. girl with bone conduction treatment for hearing loss playing a game

Trying a bone conduction treatment for hearing loss may be the difference in making your journey to hearing successful.

How does the Baha System differ from conventional hearing aids?

 

The Baha SystemConventional Hearing Aids
Implantable hearing solution designed to use your body’s natural ability to conduct sound through bone conductionAmplify the sounds you hear by sending them through the damaged part of the ear
Bypasses the damaged outer and middle ear and sends clearer, more crisp sound directly to your inner ear1Some hearing aids require users to wear an earmold, which can aggravate existing conditions (such as draining ears) or create feedback problems
Covered by most insurance plans*Not typically covered by insurance

How does the Baha System differ from middle ear surgery?
The Baha SystemMiddle Ear Surgery
You can try the Baha System risk-free with a softband or SoundArc. These nonsurgical methods allow you to know your options before making your final decision.Surgery is an irreversible treatment option
Bone conduction implants provide a greater hearing benefit at a lower cost than middle ear surgery2-3
The Cochlear™ Baha® BI300 Implant featuring TiOblast™ technology is designed and tested for long-term reliability and better sound transmission compared to other systems. 4-5
How does the Baha System differ from CROS hearing aids?
The Baha SystemCROS hearing aids
Discreet solution worn on the hearing impaired ear(s)Require users to wear devices on both the hearing impaired and the good ear
Implantable hearing solution designed to use your body’s natural ability to conduct sound through bone conductionConventional hearing aids worn behind, or inside, each ear
Bypasses the damaged outer and middle ear and sends clearer, more crisp sound directly to your inner ear1Work by picking up sound on your “bad side” and transmitting is via a hard wire or a wireless signal to your normal hearing ear
Studies show that the Baha System provides better speech understanding in noise than CROS hearing aids6Not typically covered by insurance
Covered by most insurance plans*
How does the Baha System differ from leaving your hearing loss untreated?
The Baha SystemLeaving your hearing loss untreated
Research and decades of experience demonstrate the benefits of the Baha System compared to leaving your hearing loss untreated7-11:
Stay at your current level of hearing
Hear better, even in noisy situationsRisk of missing out on conversations
Enjoy a clean, natural sound, because bypassing the damaged part of your ear, which reduces the amount of amplification needed
Hear sounds as if they are coming from both sides
Become more aware of your surroundings, increasing your ability to hear important sounds
No longer need to keep turning your ‘good’ ear toward people when they speak
woman with bone conduction treatment for hearing lossWhat is the Baha System?

The Baha System is an implantable hearing solution that uses your natural ability to conduct sound. By bypassing the damaged middle and outer ear, the Baha System sends clearer, more crisp sound directly to your inner ear.1

It helps provide you the freedom and confidence to listen to music, enjoy a movie, eat out at a noisy restaurant, go to a concert and socialize with your friends – with less worrying about missing out.

Are you ready to explore the Baha System? Start your journey back to hearing here.

Hear directly from people who have treated their hearing loss with a bone conduction solution at www.youtube.com/CochlearAmericas.

 

  1. Gustafsson J. BCDrive performance conventional bone conduction transducer. Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB, 629908, 2015.
  2. Bouhabel S, Arcand P, Saliba I. Congenital aural atresia: bone-anchored hearing aid external auditory canal reconstruction. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2012;76(2):272-7.
  3. Evans AK, Kazahaya K. Canal atresia: “Surgery or implantable hearing devices? The expert’s question is revisited”. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2007;71(3):367-74.
  4. Sennerby L, Gottlow J, Rosengren A, Flynn M. An experimental evaluation of a new craniofacial implant using the rabbit tibia model. Part II. Biomechanical findings. Otology and Neurotology (accepted).
  5. Dun, C.A.J. , de Wolf, M.J.F , Wigren, S., Eeg Olofsson, M., Granstrom, G.,Green, K., Flynn, M.C., Stalfors, J., Rothera, M., Mylanus, E.A.M., & Cremers, C.W.R.J. (2010) Development and Multi centre Clinical Investigation of a Novel Baha Implant System. Technical and 6 Month Data. Paper presented at CI 2010, Stockholm, Sweden.
  6. 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. Otology & Neurotology, 2003 Jan;24(1):73-78.
  7. Flynn MC, Sadeghi A, Halvarsson G. Baha solutions for patients with severe mixed hearing loss. Cochlear Implants Int 2009;10 Suppl 1:43-7.Ð_
  8. Hol MK, Snik AF, Mylanus EA, Cremers CW. Long-term results of bone-anchored hearing aid recipients who had previously used air-conduction hearing aids. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005 Apr;131(4):321-5.
  9. Watson GJ, Silva S, Lawless T, Harling JL, Sheehan PZ. Bone anchored hearing aids: a preliminary assessment of the impact on outpatients and cost when rehabilitating hearing in chronic suppurative otitis media. Clin Otolaryngol 2008;33:338–342.
  10. Snik AF, Mylanus EA, Proops DW, Wolfaardt J, Hodgetts WA, Somers T, Niparko JK, Wazen JJ, Sterkers O, Cremers CW, Tjellström A. Consensus statements on the Baha system: Where do we stand at present? Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2005 Dec;114(12) Suppl 195:1-12.
  11. Lin LM, Bowditch S, Anderson MJ, May B, Cox KM, Niparko K. “Amplification in the rehabilitation of unilateral deafness: speech in noise and directional hearing effects with bone-anchored hearing and contralateral routing of signal amplification.” Otology & Neurotology. 2006;27(2):172-82.

 

* Cochlear Baha® bone conduction implants are covered by many insurance plans including Medicare and typically Medicaid. Contact your insurance company or local Hearing Implant Specialist to determine your eligibility for coverage.
Cara Lippitt
Cara Lippitt is the Senior Manager, Social Media Strategy at Cochlear Americas. Cara is inspired by the stories of the recipients that she is able to tell and the incredible journeys they have taken. Cara was born and raised in Colorado and adores the mountains, snow and the world of musical theatre.