I read with great interest the recent article about asymmetrical hearing loss ("Fitting Asymmetrical Hearing Loss," July 2008) in The Hearing Review. I was disappointed, however, that the article did not mention TransEar, a bone conduction hearing aid developed specifically for individuals with single-sided deafness (SSD).

Each year in the United States approximately 50,000 people experience SSD. Most of us in practice realize that old-school products like Contralateral Routing of Signal (CROS) hearing aids have a high rejection rate. Air conduction devices also have limited success. And only a minority of candidates choose to pursue surgery. The net result is that most patients with SSD choose to do nothing.

As a dispensing audiologist with more than 30 years in practice, I was frustrated by the lack of viable alternatives, which led to the development, FDA approval (2005), and commercial launch of my product TransEar, which is patented worldwide and manufactured by Ear Technology here in the United States. For many patients, and for the professionals that have previously been discouraged by available offerings, TransEar has proven to be an effective and affordable non-surgical remedy.TransEar is worn in the deaf ear (without occluding the good ear), and it can easily be fitted by any hearing health care professional who has experience with deep canal impressions and digital hearing aids.

Many professionals who contact us are being referred by their patients, because it is those who are personally experiencing the problems caused by SSD who are aggressively seeking a solution to this unique hearing problem. We invite professionals to learn more about this innovative product at www.transear.com, and we thank The Hearing Review for allowing us to address what we think is a glaring omission in what is otherwise a very nice article.

Daniel R. Schumaier, PhD
President
Ear Technology Corporation
Johnson City, Tenn

The Insider welcomes letters from its readers. Please send them via email to Editor Will Campbell at wcampbell@ascendmedia.com. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.