Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) in children: Experience of a tertiary referral centre in Portugal

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study is to describe the experience of a tertiary referral centre in Portugal, of the placement of BAHA in children. Methods The authors performed a retrospective analysis of all children for whom hearing rehabilitation with BAHA was indicated at a central hospital, between January 2003 and December 2014. Results 53 children were included. The most common indications for placement of BAHA were external and middle ear malformations ( n  = 34, 64%) and chronic otitis media with difficult to control otorrhea ( n  = 9, 17%). The average age for BAHA placement was 10.66 ± 3.44 years. The average audiometric gain was 31.5 ± 7.20 dB compared to baseline values, with average hearing threshold with BAHA of 19.6 ± 5.79 dB. The most frequent postoperative complications were related to the skin ( n  = 15, 28%). There were no major complications. Conclusions This study concludes that BAHA is an effective and safe method of hearing rehabilitation in children.