ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

CROS and Baha-Which Type of Hearing Assistance Is Better?

by Heather Lindsey • January 1, 2009

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Contralateral routing of signals (CROS) hearing aids and the bone-anchored cochlear stimulator, or the Baha® system (Cochlear Americas, Centennial, CO), are standard treatments for unilateral hearing loss. Although each device has its advantages and disadvantages, Baha appears to be the preferred option due to better hearing quality and patient comfort, according to the physicians interviewed for this article.

You Might Also Like

No related posts.

Explore This Issue
January 2009

CROS Indications and Contraindications

Traditional CROS consists of a microphone worn in the hearing-impaired ear and a receiver worn in the hearing ear. Sounds are then transmitted from the microphone to the hearing ear via a wire or wireless system.

CROS is indicated when a patient has one ear that-owing to high thresholds or poor speech discrimination-is not amenable to direct or air-conducting amplification, but whose opposite ear is still capable of hearing, said John K. Niparko, MD, George T. Nager Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

John K. Niparko, MDOne of the things that I find astounding is that close to 50,000 Bahas are in use worldwide, and just three years ago the number was under 10,000.

-John K. Niparko, MD

Contraindications for CROS include bad hearing in both ears and not being able to accommodate the microphone because of a closed ear canal or infection, said Darius Kohan, MD, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at New York University School of Medicine. CROS is also difficult to use in patients who may have eczema in their ear canals, because the space around the microphone and receiver need to be clean.

A newer form of CROS, a transcranial system called TransEar® (TransEar, Johnson City, TN) consists of a small behind-the-ear digital hearing aid, which is joined by a thin flexible connector wire to a miniature oscillator that fits deeply and snuggly into the ear canal, according to manufacturer’s Web site (www.transear.com ).

The device sends sound vibration through the bony portion of the ear canal, through the bones of the skull to the inner ear or cochlea on the opposite side, explained Dr. Kohan.

One advantage of the transcranial CROS over the traditional CROS is that the patient does not need to wear a receiver in the good ear, said Jack Wazen, MD, of the Florida Ear and Sinus Center in Sarasota.

Baha Indications and Contraindications

The Baha consists of a sound processor attached to an external abutment, held in place by a titanium screw, which is surgically implanted into the skull behind the ear. The bone carries vibrations that bypass the external and middle ear and travel directly to the cochlear nerve.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Single Page

Filed Under: Everyday Ethics, Otology/Neurotology, Tech Talk Issue: January 2009

You Might Also Like:

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Some Studies Predict a Shortage of Otolaryngologists. Do the Numbers Support Them?
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Neurogenic Cough Is Often a Diagnosis of Exclusion
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • Tympanoplasty Tips: Otology Experts Give Advice on the Procedure
    • How Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Is Evolving to Give Patients a Better Night’s Sleep
    • Vestibular Schwannoma Position Relative to Internal Auditory Canal Helps Predict Postoperative Facial Function
    • Vocal Fold Lipoaugmentation Provides Long-Term Voice Improvements for Glottal Insufficiency
    • Upper Lateral Cartilage Mucosal Flap Enables the Successful Closure of Larger Septal Perforations

Polls

Do you think there will be a shortage of otolaryngologists in the next five to 10 years?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2022 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.