Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA)
A bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) is an implantable hearing device that transmits sound vibrations through the skull directly to the functioning cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear entirely. Unlike a conventional bone conduction device worn on a soft band or headband, a BAHA connects to a small titanium implant that is surgically placed in the bone behind the ear. Sound picked up by an external sound processor is converted into vibrations and transmitted through the implant into the skull, where the inner ear detects them.
BAHA is appropriate for people with conductive or mixed hearing loss who cannot benefit adequately from conventional air conduction hearing aids, typically because of chronic ear canal conditions, a missing or malformed outer ear (such as microtia), or chronic draining ears where wearing an in-ear device is not safe. It is also used for single-sided deafness, where sound from the deaf side is transmitted to the functioning cochlea of the better ear.
The surgical implantation procedure is typically straightforward. In Canada, BAHA candidacy is assessed by an audiologist and otolaryngologist. Funding may be available through the Ontario Assistive Devices Program (ADP) depending on eligibility criteria.
