Research of clinical and audiological results of bone anchored haring aids

Research of Clinical and Audiological Results of Bone Anchored Hearing AidsPatients with bilateral conductive hearing loss and/or mixed hearing loss are hard cases in terms of determining audiologically appropriate amplification method and providing the required functional gain. The speech discrimination function of these patients is also dramatically affected. A set of bone conduction amplification systems are applied to the patients with bilateral conductive hearing loss and/or mixed hearing loss who are not able to make use of conventional hearing aid.Bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) is approved to be one of the most successful methods applied to the patients with bilateral conductive hearing loss and/or mixed hearing loss. In comparison with bone conduction hearing aids on behind ear, better results are attained by implanting titanium implants to the parietal bone. The aim of the present study is to investigate the clinical and audiological results of BAHA.The sample of the present study consists of 16 patients who are determined clinically and audiologically to be applied BAHA. It was concluded that there was no significant difference between pre- and post-operation in air conduction and bone conduction. The audiometric observations conducted in free field without a device but BAHA resulted in significant difference. While in free field with BAHA, a statistically significant difference for speech discrimination function in mute setting with a ratio of signal/noise being 10 dB was also found and it was concluded that applying BAHA affected functional gain positively. Concurrently, 93.7% of patients to whom BAHA was applied were satisfied with the aid. As a result, it is conceived that the BAHA applied patients with bilateral conductive hearing loss and/or mixed hearing loss had audiologically more functional gain in accordance with pre-operation. The present study shows that, since a significant difference has been observed between pre- and post-operation in speech discrimination function, BAHA is considered to be a successful application.