Unveiling the Beauty of Cochlear Implant Surgery for a World of Sound
The Cochlear Implant Centre at Bharti ENT Care Hospital is a prominent center for hearing implants in central Gujarat. We have a team of the best cochlear implant surgeons in India who perform hearing implants including cochlear implants/bone conduction implants / middle ear implants. Cochlear Implant Surgery at our Hospital is done utilizing high-end microscopes. Our team of doctors is Specialised in performing both pediatric and adult cochlear implant surgeries.
The Implant Surgery is performed under general anesthesia. A cut is made behind the ear to open the mastoid bone and access the middle ear. After that, the internal ear (cochlea) is opened and electrodes are inserted. It is a safe surgery. The method requires a stay in the doctor’s facility for 2 days.
Contacting our Cochlear Implant Team
Cochlear Implant Surgery and follow-up take place at our Cochlear Implant Centre. Cochlear implantation is a specialist procedure needing a team of experts. There aren’t many centers that offer a CI Team approach.
Assessment
Cochlear Implant Candidates undergo several routine assessments before surgery. The information gathered enables the cochlear implant team to identify any additional conditions or needs and helps candidates establish appropriate expectations. It can sometimes take many days for the team to carry out all their assessments.
Audiological
- Auditory nerve Function.
- Speech Understanding with Hearing Aids.
- Hearing Levels with and without Hearing Aids. (Using either BERA, OAE, ASSR or Audiometry)
Medical
- General Health.
- Evaluation of cause of Hearing Loss.
Radiological
- CT / MRI Studies.
Speech & Language
- Assessment of Stage of Speech and Language Development.
Psychological
- Ability to Cope with Surgery
- Ability to Participate in Follow up Program
Educational
- Assessment of Educational Needs
Making the Decision
When our team has gathered all the information we need, they may decide either, that an implant is unlikely to help you or your child or that an implant might help you or your child.
- Sometimes this is a complex decision. Parents are usually involved in discussion leading up to the decision.
- Our cochlear implant team will put you in touch with adults and children with implants, and their families, and arrange to meet them. They can tell you what having a cochlear implant is really like.
Deciding the choice of implant – The team has expertise in implanting and fitting all implant makes and models. We will discuss the various models available at the time.
The Operation
Hospital stay is likely to be a maximum of two days. We would normally admit on the day of the operation provided all the preoperative tests are satisfactory Cochlear implant surgery lasts about two to three hours and is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. The electrode array is inserted into the cochlea. The receiver/stimulator is secured to the skull. typically, patients remain in the hospital for one or two nights. They have a bandage on their head which is removed after ten days. Patients return to school or work as soon as they feel well enough to do so, usually within 3 weeks of surgery.
After the surgery, one has to wait for the scar to heal. This period is approximately 3 weeks. After this healing period is over, the implant and processor are programmed or mapped for the first time. This is called the ‘switch on’.
Fitting the Speech Processor - The Switch-On
You / Your child won’t hear a sound until the external parts of the device, the headpiece and speech processor, have been fitted. The speech processor is fitted 3 weeks after surgery and is set up individually for each user. This is called the switch-on.
Our audiologist will set the speech processor so that it is comfortable for the child, with levels that are neither too loud nor too quiet. The levels must be measured very carefully for each child because every child is different and has different needs. Sometimes, it takes several sessions to set the levels accurately.
The speech processor program, also known as a map, contains settings for pitch, loudness, and timing. Programs are customized to meet each person’s particular needs during “fitting sessions” with an audiologist.
First Sounds With a Cochlear Implant
When the initial mapping is complete, the speech processor can be switched on to real sound. Your child will hear lots of different sounds in the room, including your voice, his/her voice, and a host of everyday sounds. Some children find all the new sounds exciting and rush off to explore them. Others can find the whole experience, and the sheer quantity of everyday sounds, rather overwhelming. A few children will take no notice of the new sounds.
Hearing lots of different sounds is not the same as being able to tell them apart. It may take your child a long time to work out that one set of sounds is your voice, and another is a bunch of keys rattling. You must have realistic expectations. At this stage, just noticing that there are sounds is a vast step forward and one which your child will need time to get used to. It is too early for most children to start sorting the sounds out, let alone to make sense of them. In hearing terms, your child is like a newborn baby.
What to expect in the beginning
Just like a new baby, your child will need time to learn about sounds, before he or she can be expected to do anything with it. Try to avoid putting pressure on your child or “testing” your child, for example by standing behind him/her and making noises. Don’t expect too much. If your child is simply happy to wear the speech processor then you are making great progress. Keep usual routines going.
Encourage the child to wear the speech processor as part of everyday life, and to wear it as much as possible. Some children will need rewards or incentives at first. If your child is reluctant to wear the speech processor, ask members of the implant teams, or your child’s school teacher, for advice. Make sure the child is wearing the speech processor in a way that is comfortable and practical. If in doubt, ask the implant team, speech and language therapist, or audiologist for advice.
Getting to know the Speech Processor
Before you return home after the initial tuning sessions, one of the cochlear implant team members will explain the controls on the speech processor, and show you how to check that it is working properly. You will also receive a user’s Guide and a Troubleshooting sheet. Let your audiologist know if your child consistently wants the speech processor turned up down or off. This is often a sign that it needs to be readjusted.
The more information that you give your audiologist about your child is or is not responding to sound in everyday situations, the better the audiologist will be able to program his / her device. If you are not sure how something works, or how to check that it is working, ask a member of the implant team, and keep asking until you are sure. Check that the speech processor, batteries, cables, and headpiece are all working correctly every day, just as you would a regard hearing aid. When you are used to doing it, a full check any takes a few sounds.
Keep an eye on your child’s responses and check the equipment even more carefully if there are any sudden changes. If in doubt, ask the implant team for advice. The speech processor may need to be readjusted.
Habilitation and Rehabilitation
To attain the greatest benefit from a cochlear implant, candidates should be fully committed to the follow-up program designed by their cochlear implant team. Follow-up programs vary according to local practice.
Learning to Listen
Learning to listen, and to make use of new listening skills, takes the average child a long time. Children who are born with good hearing, and who have already had months of listening practice in the womb, spend a long time just listening and working out what sounds are, and then, perhaps, playing with their voices, before they attempt to say their first word, let alone to put words together. Your child will take just as long or longer.
Some children learn relatively quickly, while others need more time. Making sure that the device is working properly, encouraging your child to wear it as much as possible, and giving lots of support and good listening/talking opportunities in quiet surroundings, will help your child to make the most of what she or he can hear. Constant background noise, such as the television or radio makes it harder for children to learn to listen.
Plan activities, such the reading books, cooking, or playing games, which you can share with your child, which are enjoyable and which give lots of space for ‘talk’. Play listening games. Your therapist will help you plan activities.
Other factors affecting success
The age of implantation is only one factor influencing the benefit a child will receive from a cochlear implant. A rich communication environment, effective speech processor programming, motivation, rehabilitation, and appropriate expectations are all important factors contributing to a child’s overall success.
It is crucial to talk to your child, even though he or she may not fully understand what you are saying. Talking to your child is the best way to encourage the development of spoken language. Facial expression and body language emphasize the meaning of words and will help your child understand you better.
The speech processor of a cochlear implant system is programmed for each person individually. Setting up an ideal program, also known as a “map”, requires regular fitting sessions to fine-tune settings. As the brain adjusts to auditory input, sounds that may have seemed loud at the first fitting can become too soft after a while. Regular fitting sessions are therefore an important factor for your child’s success with the CI.
Success with a cochlear implant requires strong motivation and active participation from you as a parent. Even the best cochlear implant will not help your child if he or she does not wear it consistently. Periods without stimulation require your child’s brain to readjust to incoming sounds from the cochlear implant, which can delay progress. Research has shown that wearing the speech processor for longer periods positively affects children’s performance with their implants.
Structured auditory therapy is another key factor for successful cochlear implant use. For very young children, auditory therapy may initially involve structured listening activities to help your child detect and recognize sounds in the therapeutic setting. At a later stage, your child learns to apply these new listening skills in the real world, outside the therapeutic setting. Various pediatric rehabilitation materials are available for use at home, so you can help your child playfully develop hearing skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Uncover the purpose and functionality of cochlear implants, and ascertain candidacy criteria for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. This succinct overview provides key insights into this transformative procedure.
Cochlear implants are FDA-approved devices that replace the function of the inner ear to transmit sound to the hearing nerve, allowing the brain to interpret sound.
Cochlear implant surgery typically lasts up to two hours per ear, is outpatient, and is performed under general anesthesia. Most people recover within a couple of days and return to normal activities within 1 to 2 weeks
The cost of a cochlear implant varies based on insurance coverage. Medicare covers cochlear implants, and many insurance plans, including Tricare and Medicaid, also provide coverage. Hearing evaluations are usually covered by insurance as well.