Adults
Diagnosis
Treatment
Beyond the Test Booth
Treatment
- Cochlear Implant
A cochlear implant is a technological breakthrough that improves a severe-to-profoundly deaf person’s ability to hear and therefore to communicate, providing there is proper rehabilitation. In the procedure, a multi-channel electrode array is surgically implanted in the cochlea. An external computerized speech processor is programmed and works in conjunction with the implanted array. The cochlear implant functions as a replacement for the tiny hair cells in the cochlea and through electrical stimulation, the auditory nerve is activated. Results can be dramatic – with the cochlear implant, people with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss and previously limited ability to understand speech through conventional hearing aids often become able to hear and understand the voices of their family members and friends. The ultimate level of functioning is highly variable across individuals, but today, with the proper rehabilitation, many individuals can achieve greatly improved understanding of speech, and many can talk on the telephone. The procedure is often described as “miraculous” by people who have received them, and by their families and loved ones.
