Single sided deafness
Single sided deafness (SSD) is the situation where a patient has normal hearing in one ear and deafness in the other ear.
There are many viable solutions for patients with single sided deafness or unilateral hearing loss. Before one is chosen, all options should be trialled to determine which one best suits the challenges that a patient is experiencing.
In some patients, especially in school children and students, a non invasive frequency modulated (FM) system can aid in delivering a clear signal to the unaffected ear. This bypasses all the background noice interference in class.
Bone conduction hearing aids can be used with a soft band and transmits sound from the affected side to the normal side. This is a popular option in small children.
Other non-invasive methods are available, namely the contralateral routing of signal (CROS) device which consists of a transmitter which is placed behind or inside the poorer ear. It picks up sound waves and wirelessly transmits to the normal hearing ear. Another option is a bone-conduction transcranial CROS. It consists of a miniature oscillator that is moulded into a custom shell that fits into the ear canals bony portion. When the non-functioning ear receives sound, it is converted to mechanical energy (vibration) which is then transferred via the skull to the cochlea in the opposite ear.
Patients who are candidates for surgical options can consider bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHA, PONTO, Symphono or Bone Bridge). Some of these systems are based on the principle of osseointegration, the process by which living bone cells fuse to the titanium implant to form a permanent anchor for the sound processor. The Bonebridge on the other hand is an active vibrating system.
Finally a cochlear implant (CI) may be offered to selected patients. This is the only option for true binaural stimulation.[/fusion_title]