Cochlear Implants

What is Cochlear implant ?
Cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted device that helps overcome problems in the inner ear or cochlear.
It provides direct electrical stimulation to auditory nerve,which is responsible for hearing. Patient can't undergo for CI implant suddenly he/she have to undergo for different test before the implant.The age that the implant can be done is still debatable according to FDA the minimum age for a implant was 5 years but now a days we can find out children who undergo for CI less than 2 years. 

Who are the candidates?

• Children and adults with severe to profound hearing loss
• The patient has to have a Functional auditory nerve 
• The patient should not have medical and radiological contradictions to surgery
• Motivation of the family and the patient 

(Please note that above factors are basic factors.When it comes to children there are many more factors which we have to consider before the implant takes place.)

It consists of 

1. Implant package ( which is inside the skull )

                                                           -Receiver  and electrode -

2. Sound and speech processor (which is worn outside)

How cochlear implant works

  

 

                                         

4-6 weeks after the surgery the activation and  programming (mapping) of the implant will take place.

This can't be done in one sitting, so the patient has to come for  a few sittings.                                     

For children speech and language therapy is required  after the activation of cochlear implant,because most of them are hearing the for the first time.                                                                                       

              

                      How a person with cochlear implant sounds like                                                                         

                                                            

Risk of cochlear implant surgery                                                                                                              

• Injury to facial nerve 
• Meningitis
• Vertigo  or dizziness 
• Infection  

After the surgery the patient have to rest for awhile till he/she recover from the surgery.Mostly after 1 month the Programming (Mapping) of the implant will take place by the audiologist. This is a important process and patient have to meet the audiologist frequently and thereafter once is 6-12 month patient have to visit the audiologist for fine-tuning the device.