What's your review of Cochlear Osia 2 System?

Thanks so much for the excellent feedback. What was the time from start to satisfaction?

what are the pros & cons on tinnitus? how much risk in making it worse? as I understand it its dicy?

Sorry--I meant to say I stumbled upon this conversation thread as I was searching Osia 2 reviews. So I created an account and here I am. 🙂

So I'm still totally deaf on my right side (SSHL), but I have the Osia 2 on my left side now to bring my left ear/side up to a good working level. They considered giving me a second bone-conduction device on my right side, but I didn't have good bone conduction scores so we decided against it. I'm getting on well with just left-side hearing.

@edemmenegger- To answer your questions, I've always slept only on my back and on my right side. Since the implant is on my left side, my sleep isn't affected. As you probably already know, you take off the sound processor when sleeping. But I don't think the implant will make you uncomfortable if it's installed on your sleeping side. Since you can't get the external sound processor part wet, you don't wear it when showering. (They do sell an aqua kit for swimming, which I have and it worked great! That was exciting for me; however, because I like to use a tether to ensure my sound processor doesn't fly across the room when I move my hair, it's kind of a pain to take the aqua cover on and off.) I can feel a lump in my head where the bottom part of the implant (the part that houses the vibrating piece) is. I have an iPhone, so I can't answer the Android question--I'm sorry about that. Wearing head coverings is tricky. I recently had my Ph.D. hooding ceremony (for graduation) and I couldn't wear my grad cap because it would knock the device off. I've seen where some people will cut a little hole in their hats to help with this issue.

As far as hearing goes, it sounds just like my natural hearing. After I lost hearing in my right ear, I used a cheap hearing amplifier to help out my left ear and to help me "stay in the game" while I figured out what my hearing solution would be. Similar to wearing headphones or ear buds, that device would become uncomfortable after a while. I NEVER feel that way with the Osia. It truly seems like I'm hearing as I always have--very natural.

Another important thing to note about this device is that it is extremely comfortable to wear. When I was researching solutions, I read about the challenges wearers dealt with when wearing BAHA devices that snap on. They seemed to have issues with the wound trying to heal itself, draining fluid, or scabbing. Since the Osia is held in place via a magnet, those challenges don't exist for its wearers. Some BAHA devices use magnets, but because they were submitting vibrations through the skin, they had to be really tight/strong magnets. Because Osia's vibrating part is under the scalp and on the skull, the magnet connection doesn't have to be really strong. Wearing my device feels comparable to wearing a barrette. There's absolutely no discomfort; it doesn't bother me at all. I would wear it all day long if batteries, water, and smooshing it into my pillow (this causes microphone feedback) wasn't an issue.

Battery usage is another important topic. I have to replace the battery in my device every other day. Battery usage is affected by the amount of streaming you do to your device. Since I have an iPhone, I can watch videos on my phone and have the sound stream directly to my Osia device, which is REALLY nice. If you're interested in doing so, you can even have your phone calls and alerts routed directly to your device (you would still need to speak into your phone though, since the Osia can't send your audio back to the person on the line). I turned off the feature that allowed phone calls to go to my device because it was really weird to be having a conversation at work and then have a telephone ringing in my head.

If you have access to Tiktok, there are some helpful videos on there for those of you who are approaching surgery or just looking for more information. I found a helpful user (just type Osia implant into the search box in Tiktok and you'll find her) when I was scouring the internet looking for user feedback on the Osia prior to my surgery. Her videos helped me learn how to prepare for and what to expect from surgery and the device.

Please note that the Osia is NOT a cochlear implant. The manufacturer's name is Cochlear and it is an implant, but it is a bone-conduction device and not a cochlear implant. My understanding is that the bone-conduction devices send sound waves to the working inner ear, which allows the brain to interpret the sounds; whereas, cochlear implants bypass the ear altogether and send signals directly to the auditory nerve. Two completely different types of mechanisms.

Please let me know if you have any questions that I can answer. I really want to help people who have the same types of questions and concerns that I had since there's not a lot of user information out there.

I just had the Osia 2 anchorage system implanted in my right ear on July 13 2021. The short surgery was not painful as I was under anesthesia, and it was just a little uncomfortable for a couple of days. My scalp is still numb on my right side although I am getting more feeling week by week. I received my processor on August 16th, and the change was immediate. Before surgery I was completely deaf on my right side due to sudden hearing loss 2 years ago (with severe vertigo). I tried the Cros, but my ear canal was too tiny to hold it, and it sounded like a tin can, Now I can hear everything through the bone conduction. Although I do have a regular hearing aid for my good ear, I do not use it unless I am going out in public. I no longer need it to watch TV or in one on one conversation because the Osia picks up the slack. I used to view TV with the closed captions because I would miss most of what was said. I can now tell where sound is coming from including when I am driving. I was becoming somewhat reclusive because I simply could not hear anything in a group, and I was also concerned that I could not tell what direction an emergency siren was coming from when I was driving. The Osia has been life changing for me. I do get a mild, occasional feedback, but we are still in the process of adjustment for the processor. I am wearing it for a month and making note of any issues, although I will say there are very few. We can make adjustments when I go back for followup. It has literally opened up my world.
If your ENT considers you a good candidate, you should definitely consider the Osia 2.
In answer to your question about sleeping, you do not sleep with the Osia attached. It is attached to a magnet in your scalp, and you simply remove it to sleep, shower, swim, etc. There is a waterproof cover you can purchase if you wish to use the processor while swimming. For the first three weeks after surgery, I did not sleep on the implant side,, but now I do. I hope this helps. If you have other questions, just post here.
Oh, and one other thing, the audiologist will have an Osia attached to a headband that you can try our to see if it will work for you. Even though the headband made a big difference, it is even better with the magnet on the bone.

Hi--
I just happened to do a quick internet search of Osia to see if there were more user testimonials out since there weren't many when I got mine back in January (activated in February) of this year (2021). I LOOOOOOOVE MY OSIA!
I've had issues with my left ear since childhood and I always considered it my bad ear. I had ear surgery to repair my left ear drum when I was 8 years old, which resulted in my ear canal growing smaller than it should be. I've had moderate hearing loss in that ear since childhood (it's hard to hear conversations well). Then, in October 2020, I went deaf in my right ear (SSHL)--the ear I've relied on all these years!
I work at a college and sometimes teach classes, so I needed a remedy quickly. I did my research and knew I wanted a bone-conduction device. I had my Osia 2 implant surgery in January and the device was activated in February. My out-patient surgery lasted three hours. I was pretty sore (probably from having my neck held to the side during surgery) for about 10 days. Once my swelling went down and the soreness dissipated, I started feeling better. Note: It was all completely tolerable and worth it.
I've got to run, but I'll come back and share more information this afternoon.

I don't believe this device is appropriate for for individuals with profound to severe sendori-neural hearing loss
It is for conduction I believe

Maybe an audiologist can weigh in on this since I only know my own experience. I wasn't able to get a bone conduction device on my right ear, which is deaf from profound hearing loss (SNHL), because my bone conduction scores on the hearing exam showed bone conduction loss on the right side. I believe it depends on whether the person loses bone conduction hearing or not. Because my bone conduction score on the right side was low, they were considering the Baha 5 Power sound processor for that side as opposed to the Osia.

All of that being said, the Osia FAQ info sheet says that the Osia "has a fitting range of 55 db SNHL."

I think it depends on each individual's air vs bone conduction scores, but I'm certainly not an audiologist.

This device changed my life. I am an ER NURSE so this makes hearing amazing!

I have severe nerve damage in the right ear with an 80% hearing loss. The left ear is good . Any recommendations for the right hearing aid?