Independent Lab for Custom Molds? Audiologist refuses to order molds but will give me the impression

As mentioned, Lloyd’s Hearing Aids is a one stop hearing aid place.

I have had 3 sets of silicone molds made with Lloyd’s. All three were canal lock molds for my hearing .
If interested give them a call and let them help you.

Wow, I didn’t know that such option exist!

@Raudrive, was it possible to make deep impression? What was otoblock placed near the eardrum - sponge or cotton pad?

I’ve heard enough nightmare blow-by ENT surgical EMI material removal stories that is be very nervous about a do it yourself kit. Though I’ve seen some kits where you sort of squish it in yourself and it’s so plasticine-y and you’re so shallow that there probably isn’t much danger.

Are you getting molds for the trial of Widex?
And, did you find another audiologist yet?

Not an expert about molds.
The ones we made appeared to be pretty deep comparing to those seen elsewhere and they functioned well IMO.

@Neville I’d personally never take my own impressions just because I already am fearful of it going wrong even when a professional does it. In your experience, are accidents when audiologists do the impressions rare?

EDIT: But, I would be willing to have the audiologist give me the impression and i’d order molds myself if the labs allow it. I called around. most don’t! Lloyds sounds great though!

Why won’t someone supply vented moulds/canal sleeves if you need them? And are buying hearing aids from them? That makes no sense at all?

Surely they just charge you the extra that the moulds cost/fitting fee?

Do they charge extra for custom aids as well?

Oh and I forgot to mention, the clinic that wouldn’t supply molds said they won’t work with hearing aids they didn’t sell me. I bought them online.

Not quite the same if he didn’t purchase them at the location, but I don’t see why they can’t come to an agreed solution. A pressure vent actually makes the loss easier to fit than an AOV anyway.

@user490 said:

Is there really that much risk? It seems pretty gentle when I’ve had it done. The person taking the impression seems a little stressed placing the foam stopper.

I mean, worst case scenario, the one we’re all frightened with in school, is that the material blows by the block and through a previously un-noticed eardrum perforation into the middle ear space, encases the ossicles, and requires surgical removal by ENT with various outcomes from full resolution to permanent conductive hearing loss. It’s rare. It’s probably blown up in audiologist’s minds because it’s a nightmare scenario for any of us. It does happen, so it’s good that your clinician seemed stressed and fussy about placing the block–that’s the most important part. I don’t personally know anyone who has had something like this happen. Mostly blow-by, even if it touches an intact eardrum, doesn’t do much beyond causing some discomfort. If the eardrum is intact and there’s significant blow-by then the ENT may need to remove the material from the ear canal if the patient has a bendy canal and manual removal doesn’t work, that’s painful but not typically permanently damaging. This is complicated if there’s a previous history of surgery leaving offshoots and pockets in the ear canal. I’ve hear of situations where a bad batch of material broke off during removal and needed ENT removal, again painful but not permanently damaging. I think I recall one situation with a colleague where EMI material pulled off some scabbing that a patient had in their ear canal leading to unresolvable bleeding because they were on a pretty heavy dose of bloodthinners and they had to go to the hospital to have it resolved. But I have personally never had an incident in a decade of practice with multiple earmolds on adults and babies, so yes it must be rare.

Otoscan is nice because it gets rid of all of this risk. The worst you can do with the otoscan is poke someone in the ear canal and give them a bruise. Very expensive device though, and doesn’t work well in all cases.

In “complicated ears” like you describe the Otoscan sounds like the preferred way and those same ears don’t sound ideal for DIY molds.

Thanks for the detailed bad situation mold impression, enlightening. I can sure see how a new audiologist would be very nervous doing mold impressions after that discussion.

Lloyd’s did ask me if I had any ear canal issues which I told them no.