Blazing a trail in the otolaryngology field, Dr Eng Soh Ping, Consultant, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), has performed the first Retro-X surgery in Singapore on 29 November 2006. He is also among the first to use this surgical technique, which is minimally invasive, in Asia.

The Retro-X is a new semi-implantable hearing aid designed for high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss or deafness. Unlike the conventional hearing aid, Retro-X does not obstruct the external ear canal and so is able to provide selective amplification of high frequency sounds.

The sound quality is also more natural and the device does not interfere with any radiologic imaging. A simulator is available so potential users may experience the effects before the procedure. The end result is also aesthetically more pleasing as the device is discreetly hidden behind the ear.

Dr Eng was exposed to the Retro-X implant during his fellowship training in Ear Surgery in Belgium from 2005 to 2006. He later brought in the techniques to CGH and did it first on one of his female patients, Mrs Margaret Teo, who had had high frequency deafness that affected both her ears for many years. She has tried the conventional hearing aids but found them too cumbersome to use.

Given her condition, Dr Eng and his audiological team – Mr Tan Boon Hai and Ms Joyce Lim, Hearing Rehabilitation Counsellors – felt that she was an ideal candidate and offered her the option of using the Retro-X hearing aid. Ms Teo’s post-operative recovery was smooth and uneventful. In fact, she was so satisfied with the outcome that she subsequently underwent the surgery on her second ear on 2 August 2007.

“For years, I have had to lip-read and try to make intelligent guesses of what people are saying. With Retro-X, I’m now able to hear clearly and regaining normality of life,” says Margaret.