Hearing Implant Program
Hearing implants have improved quality of life for countless adults and children with hearing loss. Vanderbilt’s experienced surgeons, audiologists, speech-language pathologists and educators of the deaf at Bill Wilkerson Center are leaders in this field and work as a team to provide the most comprehensive implant services in the region. Children learn every day and need to hear well for that process. Providing improved hearing through amplification can greatly improve a child’s abilities. Hearing devices such as bone anchored implants (BAI) allow patients to hear their best. Patients who have Microtia and Atresia can benefit from hearing implants called bone anchored implants. Bone anchored implants allow patients to hear through sound vibrations that are sent through your skull bone, directly to your inner ear. Hearing devices allow patients to live a better quality of life and experience sounds that they may have been missing out on. Bone anchored implants can help patients who are unable to benefit from traditional hearing aids. These devices can be used with patients who have conductive and mixed hearing losses, as well as those with single-sided deafness.
- Patients must be a candidate for BAI surgery
- The earliest age a patient can be implanted is five years of age (FDA mandated)
- Patients must have a 3-4mm skull thickness in order to be considered for implantation
Bone anchored implants can help with the following:
- Better hearing allows for improved speech and language skills.
- Children can develop better social relationships.
- Hearing aids provide improved ability to detect from where sound is coming.
- Improved hearing helps in school.
Fitting and Programming of a Bone Anchored Implant
An Audiologist will fit you with your new bone anchored implant and program it to your hearing loss. With the latest software programs available for these hearing devices, your audiologist will be able to help you hear your best and experience the best quality of sound. In your fitting, you will be educated about your new hearing device and how to care for it. You will also be given some helpful items to help with care and maintenance.
The Bill Wilkerson Center offers three brands of bone anchored implants:
1. Cochlear Americas Osia OSI200 System – is a magnetically coupled hearing device that can help with a hearing loss up to 55 dB SNHL addressing a range of hearing loss levels that can help you hear well now and also as your hearing loss worsens over time. The Osia OSI200 is placed under the skin and works by bypassing damaged areas of the outer and middle ear, sending sound directly to the inner ear. This hearing device processor attaches to the implant promoting faster and stronger integration to the bone, known as osseointegration.
Cochlear Americas Baha 5 Connect – is a traditional abutment attachment which offers a screw and fixture that is implanted in the skull. Three months following surgery, the screw and fixture will have osseointegrated with the skull (or become solid) and then the bone anchored implant can be snapped onto the abutment that fits into the screw and fixture. At this time, the bone anchored implant can be switched on. This hearing device can also be worn on a soft band head band that fits around the head instead of being implanted. A patient must be candidate for a bone anchored implant including having a 3-4mm skull bone thickness required for the implant to be able to osseointegrate successfully. Cochlear Baha 5 and Osia systems are “smart” hearing devices and allow for streaming of music and hands free connection to phones and computer accessories.
Cochlear Americas Baha 5 Attract – is a magnetically coupled attachment where a magnetic plate is implanted into the skull and the hearing device couples to the plate.
Cochlear Americas Baha 5 SuperPower – is a head-worn super power solution for individuals with a hearing loss of up to 65dB.2
2. Oticon Medical Ponto 4 Standard Power – is the smallest hearing device processor offered on a traditional abutment attachment that offers a screw and fixture which is implanted in the skull. Three months following surgery, the screw and fixture will have osseointegrated with the skull (or become solid) and then the bone anchored implant can be snapped onto the abutment that fits into the screw and fixture. At this time, the bone anchored implant can be switched on. This hearing device can also be worn on a soft band head band that fits around the head instead of being implanted. Ponto 3 and 4 systems are “smart” hearing devices and allow for streaming of music and hands free connection to phones and computer accessories.
The Ponto 3 Power and Ponto 3 Superpower processors are also offered as helpful options in addition to Ponto 4 for restoring hearing loss. These hearing devices can also be worn on a soft band head band that fits around the head instead of being implanted. A patient must be candidate for a bone anchored implant including having a 3-4mm skull bone thickness required for the implant to be able to osseointegrate successfully.
3. Med-EL ADHEAR – is designed for people with conductive hearing loss and single-sided deafness. This hearing device is most beneficial for those who do not have hearing loss more than 45dB. ADHEAR allows you to hear without using your outer and middle ears, by gently vibrating the bone behind your ear to send sound directly to your inner ear, giving you natural sound quality. There are two parts to the ADHEAR system: the adhesive adapter and the processor. The thin adhesive adapter adheres behind the ear with the processor snapping onto the adapter.
BoneBridge – is an “under-the-skin” bone conduction implant that is implanted in the scalp. This implant magnetically couples with the externally worn SAMBA processor. The SAMBA processor is light weight and discrete. The BoneBridge system is a “smart” device that can connect to your phone via the miniTek connect made by Siemens.
To learn more about Bone Anchored Implants (BAIs), click here to listen to this helpful course. This course is FREE to families, you just have to register for this course.
Locations and contact information
Audiology services are available in two clinics located in Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee. For an appointment call ph: 615-936-5000.
- Vanderbilt Medical Center East, South Tower, Ninth Floor – 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center in Franklin – 919 Murfreesboro Rd. (Highway 96), Franklin, TN 37064. *This location is for adult appointments only.
To schedule a Hearing Aid Consultation appointment with Dr. Margaret McRedmond or Dr. Brandy Stephens at the Microtia and Atresia Clinic to discuss your child’s hearing loss, please contact us at ph: 615-322-4327. For information regarding hearing device implantation and hearing loss restoration options, please contact Dr. Marc Bennett at ph: 615-322-6180.
To make an appointment at the Microtia and Atresia clinic, please e-mail us at: MicrotiaAtresiaClinic@VUMC.org or call ph: 615-343-6166.