Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) for Single-Sided Deafness
Indications and Benefits
- The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recommends BAHA for patients with single-sided deafness, as it effectively addresses the head shadow effect without requiring amplification on the normal-hearing ear 1.
- BAHA is specifically designed for single-sided deafness (SSD) where one ear has profound hearing loss and the contralateral ear has normal hearing, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2, 1.
Inappropriate Options
- The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery indicates that cochlear implants are not suitable for patients with single-sided deafness and a normal functioning cochlea on the opposite side, as they are intended for severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss 2, 1, 3.
- Conventional hearing aids are not beneficial for patients with complete unilateral deafness, as they require functional cochlear hair cells to transduce amplified sound, which are absent in complete deafness, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2, 1.
- Middle ear implants are designed for conductive or mixed hearing loss, not for complete sensorineural deafness, and are therefore not suitable for this patient population, as stated by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2, 1.
- Auditory brainstem implants (ABIs) are reserved for patients with bilateral profound deafness who lack functional cochlear nerves or have had bilateral cochlear nerve damage, making them an inappropriate option for patients with single-sided deafness, according to Praxis Medical Insights 3.