Bone Conduction Implant

 What Is a Bone Conduction Implant?

A bone conduction implant is a surgically placed hearing device that helps sound reach the brain through vibrations of the skull

Bone Conduction Implant vs. Traditional Hearing Aid

A traditional hearing aid sends amplified sound through the ear canal. A bone conduction device bypasses the ear canal, eardrum, and middle ear entirely. It sends vibration directly through the skull bone to brain.

Situations where bone conduction devices make more sense include

• Chronic drainage or ear infections

• Narrow ear canal or malformations

• Single-sided deafness (SSD)

Many patients experience:

• Clearer sound quality

• Better speech understanding

• Improved sound awareness from the deaf side (in SSD)

Who Is a Candidate?

Bone conduction implants are helpful when:

• Hearing aids cannot be worn comfortably

• Chronic ear infections prevent traditional hearing aid use

• There is congenital absence or malformation of the ear canal

• One ear has no usable hearing

What to Expect

Before surgery

• Hearing test and formal device candidacy evaluation

• Trial with a headband or softband device

• Imaging

• Medical evaluation

Surgery

• Typically outpatient

• Less than 1 hour

• Small incision behind the ear

After surgery

• Device activation in 2-4 weeks postop

• Programming adjustments with your audiologist as needed