Our patient, a 28-year-old male, has had single-sided deafness since infancy: meaning he does not have any useable hearing in his left ear. He has never worn or tried a hearing aid or any other hearing device other than an FM system in grade school. With excellent hearing in his better ear, he performs well in most quiet environments. However, certain situations such as noisy restaurants or when a talker is on his left side, have always been difficult. He is an active adult, working in sales, who decided it was finally time to try a device that would help him hear better.
He is a great candidate for a bone-anchored hearing aid, or osseointegrated device. Bone-anchored hearing aids are sound processors that transfer sound from the poorer ear to the better ear. If you’re looking for more information on this type of device check out our blog that explains all of the details by clicking here: https://gardneraudiology.com/overview-bone-anchored-hearing-aids-baha/
Dr. Amanda Cooley from Oticon Medical visited Gardner Audiology to allow him to try their newest device called the Ponto 4. The Ponto 4 is not only the world’s smallest bone-anchored sound processor, but it is also phone compatible and offers 360-degree sound. Long-term Ponto users typically have a surgical procedure which is discussed in the blog linked above. However, for his in-office demo, he was able to try the device on a headband.
He was surprised at the difference he heard when a talker was on his deaf side. He doesn’t recall ever having normal hearing in his left ear and noticed improvement while wearing the Ponto. Dr. Cooley recommended he try plugging his right ear during the demo so he could really hear the difference. He also had the opportunity to wear the device outside the office where he heard environmental and traffic noise.
He left his appointment very excited about the possibility of hearing better. He is hoping to try the Ponto 4 in more complex listening environments in the future. He felt the bone-anchored device would be beneficial in business meetings and when he is out having dinner with friends.
We are grateful for Dr. Cooley’s time spent with our patient!
To contact Gardner Audiology, call us at 1-800-277-1182.
