Implants later in life

[dsmerritt]

Hi all. I am 34 and have never had hearing in my left ear. I am now contemplating either a bonebridge or soundbridge, but I am really wondering whether it is worth the process to get implanted if I have coped all this time without it.

 

I would absolutely love some feedback from people who have decided to get an implant and whether it has been everything you hoped it to be.

[Adam]

Welcome to hearpeers

I I am 47 years old now and have been implanted with 2 CIs for about 4.5 years. I started losing my hearing in my mid 20's.

My situation is a little different than yours, I can say that getting a CI was one of the best decisions in my life. I have talked to MANY people all with various stages of succes and every one of them said they were happy they ,ace the decision.

It is a very important and personal decision. Try to do as much research as you can in trying to decide.

Adam

[dsmerritt]

Thanks for your reply Adam. It's such a big decision and now I know there are options to fix my hearing loss, having one sided deafness now drives me crazy, when it never used to haha. Would really love to chat to someone with a bonebridge or VSB to get their feedback :-)

[Adam]

I still will automatically go to my wife's left when we get out of the car or walk outside. )

Some habits are hard to break. My left ear was the first to go so in order for me to hear her, she had to be on my right.

You should be hearing from IVANA soon. She should be able to answer some of your questions.

[Ivana Marinac]

Guys - there is important difference: you (we) don't have same type of hearing loss.

Dsmerritt and I have conductive hearing loss and our "we don't hear much" is way too far from your - "we don't hear much". Technically, with conductive hearing loss you can not be deaf because the maximum of hearing loss which is possible by conduction is cca 70dB because our skull bone always conduct some sound only not efficient enough. Taking into account that our hearing cells are good - so conductivees always hear something.

DsMerritt (sorry, I didn't get your name) - I have bilaterally conductive hearing loss due to the bilaterally microtia and middle ear change. Since my 4th year I wear a hearing aid only on one side and I have never heard bilaterally. After 31 years I was implanted on the other, unamplified side and my comprehesion has improved significantly, nearly perfect. When I will become bilateral - I think I would call it - something near to the heaven

Of course, I needed almost a year or so to reach this level which possibly will not be needed for you because you hear well on the other side which in my case is same as the implanted. So - your chances are nearly perfect, even better than mine.

[Ivana Marinac]

Answer to your last question - it is even more that I can ever imagined since I have never heard higher frequencies like I should. Bone conduction system actually conducts efficiently low and middle frequencies - not high.

[dsmerritt]

Ivana I really appreciate you taking the time to give your story. It helps a lot. I am lucky that I do have full hearing in my right ear, but of course I know I am missing out on a lot too. Especially as I play music and it's difficult to play in tune with others, especial when they sit on my left!!!

I like the option of the VSB as it is using my inner ear bones but of course the problem is whether those bones are suitable. They said they can't tell from CT so will decide when they get in there. If ear bones no good then will go for the bonebridge.

Can I ask - is it 'hard work' maintaining the processor? I guess is it a big deal in looking after it? does that make sense?

Cheers

Darrelle

[Ivana Marinac]

Ivana I really appreciate you taking the time to give your story. It helps a lot. I am lucky that I do have full hearing in my right ear, but of course I know I am missing out on a lot too. Especially as I play music and it's difficult to play in tune with others, especial when they sit on my left!!!

I like the option of the VSB as it is using my inner ear bones but of course the problem is whether those bones are suitable. They said they can't tell from CT so will decide when they get in there. If ear bones no good then will go for the bonebridge.

Can I ask - is it 'hard work' maintaining the processor? I guess is it a big deal in looking after it? does that make sense?

Cheers

Darrelle

Yes, a subtle missing part when you don't understand person because it's on wrong side. Actually, 2 ears give you not just bilaterality than possibility to better understand what was said in the crowd - it's called "a cocktail party" effect.

I am an Ear, Nose, Throat doctor in my country so personaly and professional curiosity leaded me to this point.

Well, it is possible to see from a CT scan how bad ossicles (they are not in the inner than in the middle ear) are deformed but this is not the end point where VSB should be excluded as possible solution - there is a possibility to put an FMT directly on your round window. This is the most efficient way of transmission. On the other sude, BB is not so detailed operation - there is no need for entering into the middle ear.

Regarding me, I was already given BB choice because it was unknown how much my ossicles give the sound amplification - if the chain is destryed whether this will change my hearing. I was second patient in the world who got the BB in microtic ear so then, there was a lot of uncertainties.

Nothing specially, I put it in its original box. When I exercise I put it in the special Sportband from Med-El so sweat doesn't make technical difficulties. For now Samba is not waterproof but you can put it in the similar bag of Rondo, a CI device, so it protects it.

Otherwise, you need special implant battery. This is it.