More than 28 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. Of those about 700,000 are severely or profoundly deaf. Technology exist today to help those individuals.
The technology for cochlear implants (CI) has been approved by the FDA for us in the United States since 1984. Since that time, tremendous improvements have been made, make CI's even more effective. Please see our l page for other sites of interest.
Who Can Benefit from A Cochlear Implant?
Adults and children with bilateral (both sides) severe to profound hearing loss may benefit from a CI. CI's are not appropriate for single-sided deafness, but other techniques (BAHA) may help those individuals.
CI's work best for adults who have lost hearing after learning to speak, and for children younger than 7 years old.
COCHLEAR IMPLANT FACT SHEET
A cochlear implant is a medical device designed to provide useful sound information to individuals who are deaf via direct electrical stimulation of the hearing nerve. The device consists of 2 components (internal and external). The internal component, or electrode, is surgically implanted in the inner ear and is completely under the skin. The external component is a mini-computer, or speech processor, that translates signals to the internal electrode by way of magnets that connect the internal and external devices.
FDA Approval
Cochlear implants have been FDA approved for adults since 1985 and FDA approved for children since 1990. More than 30,000 people worldwide have received cochlear implants. Children as young as 12 months are routinely implanted as a solution to childhood deafness.
Currently, there are three cochlear implants that have gained FDA approval and are available in the United States:
Additional materials are available from each manufacturer or via the internet. This center implants all three devices.
Candidacy
The candidacy process is designed to determine whether the implant will enrich the recipients life and specific criteria must be met before surgery is considered. Our goal is to ensure that those who are implanted will benefit from the device. Some important considerations are:
age of the candidate
length of deafness
amount of residual hearing
communication methodology
motivation / commitment
enrollment in an appropriate rehabilitation program
Risks
Few risks have been reported associated with cochlear implant surgery. The risks are the same as with any other inner ear surgery under general anesthesia. Surgery generally takes 1 to 3 hours and is typically an outpatient procedure. Most implant recipients feel well enough to resume their normal activities within a few weeks.
All risks are minimal. Possible risks include:
v Facial paralysis- eye on implant side will close and mouth will pull to the opposite side
v Infection- Infection to the incision and operation site can cause the operation to fail
v Spinal fluid drainage- Meningitis can result and require further medical care
v Anesthesia risks
v Electrical current- Unknown effects of electrical current on nervous tissue and brain tissue
v Magnets- Unknown long term effects of magnets in the body
v Obsolete device- Technology is continuously improving, therefore, advancements will outreach the implanted device
v Device failure
Current Pediatric Candidacy Criteria
Current Adult Candidacy Criteria
Research
Research studies show that cochlear implants can significantly increase speech intelligibility and speech perception, as well as, increase receptive and expressive language. Children who are deafened before or during the years of language development can have as much success, when implanted early, as children who lose their hearing after acquiring spoken language. Children who are implanted before 5 to 7 years of age tend to perform better. Adults and older children, deafened after developing language, demonstrate significant increases in speech perception during the first 3 to 6 months of use. Adults who were deafened prior to language development and are not using oral methods of communication are more likely to discontinue use of the implant.
Outcomes
Results vary greatly between implant recipients. Words like benefit or success have different meaning for different people. Most people will consider increased speech understanding beneficial, some will measure success by their ability to talk on the phone, and others simply want to hear environmental sounds.
A variety of factors influence the success of an implant, such as:
the amount of time the device is used daily
the extent to which sound develops meaning and is integrated into daily life
auditory nerve survival
auditory memory
family support
appropriate expectations.
It is important to understand that learning to "hear" with an implant requires many months (sometimes years) of dedication. With a cochlear implant the brain receives sound as electrical current and the sensation sound will not seem natural until the brain has adapted to the signal.
After Surgery
After the incision is healed (about 4 weeks), you will return to the office and the speech processor will be activated. Prior to this appointment the implant will not be functioning. This first appointment is called the "initial stimulation" and takes approximately 2 hours. Initial reactions will vary among adult users. The increased sound input may be overwhelming at first and seem distorted or unnatural. Most users report that this soon disappears. Children will often become frightened when experiencing sound through their implant for the first time.
During the first year, you are required to keep appointments approximately every 3 months. Over time the frequency and length of time required for adjustments to your speech processor will decrease. Experienced recipients usually require appointments only a few times per year.
Rehabilitation
To make the most of your implant, auditory rehabilitation training is essential. Each recipient will have an individualized rehabilitation program. Your success will depend on your commitment to this plan, which will focus on developing communication through spoken language and listening
