For 11 years, Marty Vermillion watched her grandson suffer from maximum conductive hearing loss in one ear,caused by congenitally underdeveloped ear. The externalear is smaller than the other, and the ear canal has not developed, making it difficult for Michael to hear family members, expand his verbal skills and even participate at school. That is why Marty is so glad she finally found the help her grandson needed at the Surgery Center at Mt. Zion.
Marty took Michael to an ear, nose and throat physician in Canton, Georgia, who referred the family to Dr. Danko Cerenko, a very experienced otologist, ear surgeon, credentialed to perform surgeries at the Surgery Center at Mt. Zion.
Because Michael suffers from one sided maximum conductive hearing loss, practically deafness, Dr. Cerenko suggested he undergo surgery to receive a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid, or Baha. It works through a small titanium implant surgically set into the skull, behind the ear, to which a sound processor is attached. The sound processor uses bone conduction – transmits the sound through the skull to otherwise normal inner ear– to help the person hear.
“The Baha sound processor has restored the hearing in the non-hearing ear, and allows Michael to now hear from both sides of his head, making sound clearer and more distinguishable from background noise,” says Dr. Cerenko. “Allowing the ‘full hearing experience’ is the goal when implanting the Baha in patients with severely impaired hearing on the single side.”
Marty says life for Michael is “100 percent better”. He no longer favors his “good” ear and is able to participate in conversations with the family and in lessons at school.
“The 55-mile drive to the Surgery Center at Mt. Zion from Canton was well worth it,” says Marty. “I’m so pleased for my grandson.”
The Surgery Center at Mt. Zion started offering the Baha treatment in May 2007, and is the only outpatient surgery center in the Southern Arc performing this procedure. Michael’s story is just one example of how the Surgery Center is transforming lives through innovative health care.
