OBJECTIVE: To identify the most common technical problems that occurring in hearing aids adapted in a hearing health care service, the possible causes, and the estimated costs for repairs. CASE REPORT: The study used the database of the Hearing Aid Laboratory of the Federal University of Santa Maria (Santa Maria, Brazil). All repair requests recorded from July 2009 to July 2012 were analyzed to very the following information: problems with hearing aids, their possible causes, and the repair cost. There were 254 verified repair requests, among which the most common technical problems were related to the breakage of battery compartment, the box, or the ear hook of the hearing aids. The possible causes of these identified problems were divided into 2 groups: (1) problems resulting from bad use of the hearing aid or (2) an unknown cause. RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent of the problems were associated whit mishandling by the patient. The average estimated costs of repairs for hearing aids that were outside the warranty period was R$ 493.27 (approximately US $219.23). CONCLUSION: Problems most commonly encountered were related to the breakage of parts that can be easily handled by users of hearing aids, to the lack of patient knowledge on the proper handling of the devices. These data highlight the need to strengthen patient orientations and follow up after the adjustment, and thereby increase the life of hearing aids, reduce the costs involved in early replacement, and reduce the higher estimated costs for repair.
