At Hearing Associates P.C., we are committed to providing excellent customer service and quality hearing aids since 1987. We are your hearing healthcare expert in Mason City, Northern Iowa, and Albert Lea, Minnesota. We offer a wide range of patient-focused audiology services, including screenings for candidacy for Bone Anchored Hearing Aids and bone conduction testing.

What are Bone Anchored Hearing Aids?

Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHAs) are surgically implanted and uses your natural ability to create sound to detour around the damaged outer and middle ear, and then sends clear and crisp sounds directly to your inner ear through the skull (or bone conduction). It differs from a normal hearing aid because a hearing aid pushes sound through the damaged part of the ear.

Baha Young Adult Female listening to music

History of BAHA

The world's first bone conduction implant was created more than 35 years ago, and it opened up many possibilities for people suffering from conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss and single-sided deafness. Since it was created, the technology of BAHA has changed the lives of more than 120,000 people.


Sufferers of hearing loss can benefit from BAHAs, especially ones with chronic middle ear or outer ear problems. The first category of candidates that benefit are patients with natural defects of the ear who aren’t able wear hearing aids may be candidates for a BAHA. As long as one of their ears has a cochlea that can hear. The second category of candidates are patients with single-sided deafness. This can include patients who have lost all or most of their hearing in one ear, but have good hearing in the other. A BAHA may be an excellent alternative for patients who do not find a traditional hearing aid helpful.

BAHA is FDA approved for children over the age of five. For children with hearing loss under the age of 5, an adjustable soft head band is available with the BAHA.

How it Works

The BAHA system is centered around bone conduction. It uses a titanium implant, which is surgically placed in the skull bone behind the non-functioning ear. A brace connects the sound processor with the implant in the bone. This connection creates direct bone conduction but in contrast, some traditional bone conductors attach indirectly to the bone through unbroken skin and work by applying pressure on the skull. Direct bone conduction, provided by BAHAs, may provide enhanced access to sound when compared to traditional because sound is not faded when passing through the skin, muscle and fat covering the skull.

Hearing Associates does not perform the surgeries but we refer our patients to local ENT’s. We are able to screen for candidacy and we do complete bone conduction testing. We also sell the devices and provide the ENT with client medical recommendations.

At Hearing Associates, you can expect courteous service, thorough follow-up care, and a lasting commitment to your satisfaction at all of our locations. Schedule your appointment today!

HIW Baha Attract System