Why are cochlear implants used

Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, cochlear implants do the work of the damaged parts of the inner ear cochlea to provide sound signals to the brain. An external speech processor is worn behind the ear and picks up sound, analyses it, and turns it into digital code. These signals are sent to a transmitting coil, which is circular, about 2 cm in diameter and held onto the side of the head with a magnet.

The transmitting coil sends the coded signals through the skin to the receiver which is under the skin. The sound processor has a battery that powers the entire system. The surgically implanted device converts the digital code into electrical impulses and sends these along the electrode array in the inner ear.

The electrode array stimulates the hearing nerve, which then sends the impulses to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound. You can visit the Cochlear website for further information and videos about cochlear implants:. It takes time and practice before people become comfortable with the sound.

Adults who have previously had normal hearing tell us that voices and sounds are different to what they remember. Speech with a cochlear implant has been described as robotic, scratchy, hollow, fuzzy, or just not clear. The sound seems to be different for different people and implantees find it hard to describe. Many things affect how much each person will be able to hear with a cochlear implant.

These include how long they have had a hearing loss, the degree and type of hearing loss they have had and their ability to make sense of a degraded signal. For some people, speech is easy to understand and they are able to follow a conversation without lip-reading, for others the sound is not clear and they will continue to rely on lip-reading and other cues to understand conversations.

All implantees have difficulty following conversation in busy noisy places. While implantees may recognise some sounds when their speech processor is first turned on, others will become clearer over time and with practice. It is natural to expect to immediately enjoy the new sounds and understand conversation with an implant. However for many people the initial sound is confusing and even irritating.

Cochlear implant systems from each manufacturer are not interchangeable. Once you have an implant from one manufacturer, you will need to continue to use their sound processors. To use ReachDeck to listen to or translate this site you must allow ReachDeck cookies. ReachDeck is enabled. If you wish to disable ReachDeck please visit our cookies page. Telephone number What is a Cochlear Implant?

Hospitals' contact details Telephone number For clinicians Referral information Education and training Our consultants. How do you make a request? Have you visited before? You will also learn the basics of using and caring for the implant. You may need to return for several visits over a few days for adjustments. Further fine-tuning will take place over several months.

Learning to use a cochlear implant is a gradual process. It will likely require visits with speech-language pathologists and audiologists. With commitment, you can experience an improved quality of life with a cochlear implant.

If the development of spoken language is an important goal for the family of a young child with significant hearing loss, a cochlear implant should be considered. Equally important to a good cochlear implant surgery is the care provided after surgery, as well as a long-term commitment from the patient and family to learn the new way of listening through a cochlear implant.

Weekly auditory rehabilitation should be provided by highly trained professionals who specialize in the area of listening and spoken language. This is critical to guide rehabilitation toward achieving the result desired. This is particularly true for young children who must play catch-up in their development of listening and speaking skills.

There are several factors that influence a child's development of listening and spoken language with a cochlear implant:. The family should seek a professional team that offers a comprehensive surgical, audiological and rehabilitative program that collaborates with the education options and school of their choice. Four of their five children were either born deaf or became deaf at an early age.

Health Home Treatments, Tests and Therapies. What is a cochlear implant? Why might I need cochlear implant surgery? Candidates for cochlear implant surgery include individuals who: Are experiencing hearing loss and are not helped by hearing aids Have hearing in both ears but with poor clarity Miss half or more of spoken words, without lip reading, even when wearing hearing aids Rely heavily on lip reading, despite wearing hearing aids In cases of more moderate hearing loss, a partially inserted cochlear implant is used to preserve hearing so that both a hearing aid and the cochlear implant may be used simultaneously in the same ear.

Is cochlear implant surgery right for me? With a successful surgery and rehabilitation, a person may be able to: Perceive different sounds, such as footsteps, a door closing or a phone ringing Understand speech with less need to lip read Understand voices over the telephone Watch TV without closed captioning Hear music Before thinking about a cochlear implant, it is important to understand certain facts.

These include: A cochlear implant requires a period of training and therapy after surgery. During this time, you will learn how to care for the implant. You will also have aural, or hearing, rehabilitation to assist with learning how to interpret the new electrical signals, as well as how to apply these new listening skills to better communicate.

This will help to improve your use of the implant. How long and how frequently you have aural rehabilitation depends on your goals and progress. Cochlear implants do not restore hearing to normal. In a small minority of people, they may not help with hearing at all. You may lose the rest of your natural hearing in the ear where the implant is placed; a hearing aid should be used instead to maintain the remaining natural hearing ability. You may need to use new or recharged batteries every day.

You will need to remove the external part of the implant when bathing or swimming. A special procedure may need to be performed before you can undergo an MRI. The implant can be damaged during an accident or while playing sports.

Although a rare occurrence, the implant can fail. In some cases, a new surgery may be needed to replace the implant.