Application of bone anchored hearing aids in different acquired and congenital ear malformations Henryk Skarz ˙yn ´ski * , Maciej Mro ´wka, Robert Zawadzki, Paulina Ml otkowska-Klimek, Agata Szkiel kowska Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, Pstrowskiego 1 str., 01-943 Warsaw, Poland Abstract Treatment and rehabilitation of conductive or mixed hearing loss in cases of congenital and acquired ear malformation can be successful due to application of bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA) [Laryngoscope 107 (1997)]. This method of treatment allows for secure and effective improvement of hearing and facilitates speech development in early childhood [Am. J. Otol. 9 (1998) 56]. D 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V. 1. Method Our method of choice of treatment of hearing loss in patients with different malforma- tions of the ear is implantation of titanium fixture and installation of abutment with subcutaneous tissue reductions (without taking skin graft) [4]. It can be done as a one- stage procedure in adults, provided there is good bone quality and uneventful surgery, or as a two-stage procedure in patients with poor bone quality and in small children. After surgery the fixture is allowed to integrate for a period of 3–4 months before the sound processor was fitted (BAHA Classic 300 or BAHA Compact). After 1 and 6 months of using the device, full audiometric tests are made. 2. Material Our material consists of 41 patients with conductive and mixed hearing losses including 25 children from 3 upwards (with congenital malformations) and 16 0531-5131/ D 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/S0531-5131(03)00780-5 * Corresponding author. Fax: +48-22-835-5214. E-mail address: h.skarzynski@ifps.org.pl (H. Skarz ˙yn ´ski). International Congress Series 1240 (2003) 321 – 323