2. Who can they help?

The cochlear implant technology can help people who:

• Have moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears
• Receive little or no benefit from hearing aids
• Score 50% or less on sentence recognition tests done by hearing professionals in the ear to be implanted
• Score 60% or less on sentence recognition tests done by hearing professionals in the non-implanted ear or in both ears with hearing aids.

Many people have cochlear devices in both ears (bilateral). Listening with two ears can improve your ability to identify the direction of sound and separate the sounds you want to hear from those you don’t.

3.What are the benefits of a cochlear implant?

Many adults with cochlear implants report that they:

• Hear better with a cochlear implant than with a hearing aid
• A previous study has shown that people with a cochlear implant achieve an average of 80% sentence understanding, compared with 10% sentence understanding for hearing aids.
• Find it easier to have conversations with people across meeting tables, in restaurants and other crowded places.
• Reconnect with missed sounds that they could not hear before their cochlear implant.
• Feel safer in the world as they can hear alarms, people calling out and approaching vehicles.
• Talk and hear on the phone. & Enjoy music.

4. What factors can affect these benefits?

The benefits of cochlear ear implants are often different for different individuals. These differences are often due to:

• How long they have had hearing loss before receiving a cochlear implant
• How severe their hearing loss is
• The condition of their cochlea (inner ear)
• The presence of other medical conditions
• How much practice they include in everyday life when using their cochlear implant system.

5. What happens during cochlear implant surgery?

Cochlear implant surgery is done in a hospital or clinic. The surgery lasts two to four hours. You are given medication (general anesthesia) to make you sleep during the procedure.

• The surgeon makes a cut behind the ear and then opens the mastoid bone.
• The surgeon identifies the facial nerves and creates an opening between them to access the cochlea, which is then opened. He or she inserts the implant electrodes into the cochlea.
• The surgeon places an electronic device called the receiver under the skin behind the ear, securing it to the skull in this area.
• The incisions are then closed, and you will be moved into the recovery area and watched closely.
• You will be discharged after at least two hours of observation.