People With a Hearing Loss That Have Web SitesAssistance For Guests With Disabilities At Some Popular Vacation
SpotsPeople With a Hearing Loss That Have Web SitesAssistance For Guests With Disabilities At Some Popular Vacation
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- LD: Barney can hear those whistles again
- By Barbara Adam
BRISBANE, May 6 AAP - A stray golden labrador called Barney has become the first dog in the world to have a hearing aid implanted directly into its skull.
The small hearing aid, attached externally to a titanium screw protruding from Barney's skull, transmits sound through the bones of his head into his inner ear.
The veterinary surgeon and the human audiologist who performed the implant now hope the procedure can be developed further for use in young children who are unable to wear conventional hearing aids, and also for other pet dogs and cats.
The procedure has been used to restore hearing to about 20 adult patients at the Royal Brisbane Hospital but a certain thickness of skull is required, making children under the age of three ineligible for the implant.
Barney's historic hearing aid was implanted after he was found wandering around the University of Queensland last September - underweight, bedraggled and in severe pain from a chronic ear infection.
Luckily for Barney, the head of small animal surgery in the university's veterinary science department, Sue Sommerlad, had a soft spot for golden labradors.
She took Barney home to keep her other golden lab company but the painful and stubborn ear infection needed radical surgery.
"It was either put him to sleep or operate," Mrs Sommerlad said.
To cure the ear infection, most of Barney's diseased ear canal was removed, leaving only the inner ear deep inside his head, and a floppy, furry ear-flap outside his head.
Mrs Sommerlad soon began investigating the possibility of canine hearing aids to try to restore some of her dog's quality of life.
She attended a course on bone-anchored hearing aids using titanium implants, then began talking to human audiologists about using the procedure on dogs.
Late last year, Mrs Sommerlad inserted a titanium screw into the top of Barney's skull.
Assisting with the surgery was Deborah Mackenzie, the director of audiological services at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, who had implanted similar hearing aids in humans.
After Barney's skull bone grew into the screw, anchoring it firmly in his head, the two specialists operated a second time to attach the hearing aid.
"Audiological testing has shown that Barney has regained his hearing, " Mrs Sommerlad told reporters at the University of Queensland today.
Mrs Sommerlad said the success of Barney's bone-anchored hearing aid would give hope to many pet owners faced with sacrificing their dog's hearing to cure ear infections.
Swedish medical company Nobel Biocare, which made the hearing aid now used by Barney, are also interested in further research into animal implants.
John Divitini, the company's technical support manager, said Barney's hearing aid would last about 30 years with proper maintenance.
Mrs Sommerlad said because Labradors were not especially long-lived, she expected Barney to live another four or five years, but those years could be lived to the full because of his hearing aid.
- Info about Mrs. Sommerlad can be found here.
- On Deaf Ears
Assistance For Guests With Disabilities At Some Popular Vacation Spots
Access to Disney World: Tips for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults and Children - by Paula Rosenthal, J.D.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium - They have a therapy program for special needs kids (included those with hearing issues), ages 4-18, called the Full Circle Program.
Sea World - The following information is not available on their Web site, but is the response you will get if you fill out their online form. Sea World provides a hearing interpreter free of charge to escort hearing impaired persons and their companions around the park. Reserved seating is provided at each stadium, also without charge. Assistive Listening Devices are available. Phone Guest Services to arrange for your hearing interpreter and schedules. Shamu has a TDD! 1-800-TD-SHAMU (1-800-837-4268). This toll-free phone number is answered by the Sea World Education Department seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
People With a Hearing Loss That Have Web Sites - not necessarily about hearing loss
Links to more websites by people with a hearing loss can be found on our Cochlear Implant page.