{"id":293,"date":"2019-06-20T14:05:57","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T18:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easterncarolinaent.fm1.dev\/hearing-aids\/implantable-hearing-devices\/"},"modified":"2020-06-12T11:41:15","modified_gmt":"2020-06-12T15:41:15","slug":"implantable-hearing-devices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/easterncarolinaent.com\/hearing\/hearing-aids\/implantable-hearing-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"Implantable Hearing Devices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A cochlear implant is an\nelectrical device used to help patients who have severe hearing loss and do not\nget adequate benefits from hearing aids. There are several parts to a cochlear\nimplant. The first part is the receiver-stimulator. The receiver-stimulator is\nthe device implanted underneath the skin behind the ear. A small wire from the\nreceiver-stimulator is placed at surgery into the inner ear. The skin is sewn\nback together and the device is completely underneath the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The speech processor is\nan external device, which has a microphone that connects with the internal\ndevice by radio transmission. A small magnet on the speech processor attached\nto a wire connects to the internal device. The speech processor receives sounds\nand speech from the environment and sends a signal to the internal device (the\nreceiver-stimulator). The receiver-stimulator then sends a signal through the cochlear\nimplant receiver, to the wire and into the inner ear, which the patient hears\nas sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vast majority of\npatients saw an improvement in their communication after cochlear implantation.\nSome patients report they can: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are some\nvariability in the results of individual patients. In many cases, this relates\nto deterioration of the hearing nerve during the period of deafness.\nFortunately, the number of patients who do poorly with a cochlear implant is\nsmall. Most patients note significant improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of our cochlear\nimplant recipient, A.W. began to understand words on the first day. Like most\npatients, he shows continued improvement over time. He has been very happy with\nhis results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\nDoes Speech Sound Like With a Cochlear Implant?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most patients report\nspeech has a higher pitch than normal but is understandable. Many patients\ndescribe the sound as \u201cmechanical\u201d. Patients generally have improved awareness\nof sounds around them. This can be very helpful for safety issues, such as\nhearing an oncoming car. A few patients are actually able to regain an\nappreciation for music, but this is less common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly enough,\nthe exact cause of hearing loss does not affect whether a patient will benefit\nfrom a cochlear implant. As more and more patients with different types of ear\ndisorders receive cochlear implants, we are finding that the cause is generally\nnot important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Patients have the\npotential to do well with many different causes of hearing loss. One important\nnote is that patients who are deafened from meningitis and develop a new bone\ninside the inner ear do not see as much benefit from an implant as other\npatients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patients are initially\nevaluated in the ENT office at Eastern Carolina Ear, Nose, and Throat. A search\nis made for potentially treatable causes of hearing loss. If the patient has\nnot yet tried hearing aids, a hearing aid trial is begun. If the patient is not\nsuccessful with hearing aids, then a complete cochlear implant audiological\nevaluation is carried out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the patient is deemed\nto be a candidate after detailed hearing and speech testing, they will return\nfor an evaluation with the physician and a CAT scan is obtained to study the\nstructure of their inner ear. The patient has an opportunity to learn more\nabout the surgical procedure and a final decision is made with the patient and\nphysician.<\/p>\n\n\nDoes the Cause of Hearing Loss Affect Whether a Patient Is a Candidate for\na Cochlear Implant?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Does the Patient Get Evaluated for Cochlear Implant?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n