EdhaCare - Cochlear Implantation In India

A sound processor that fits behind the ear is used in a Cochlear Implant. It is an electronic device that partially recovers hearing and can be used by those who have severe hearing loss due to inner-ear damage and find hearing aids to be ineffective. This processor catches sound impulses and sends them to a receiver behind the ear that is implanted beneath the skin.

The auditory nerve is stimulated by the signals, which then travel to the brain. The brain interprets the signals as sounds, however they will not be identical to those heard normally. Learning to decipher the signals received from a cochlear implant will take some time and practise. Most persons with cochlear implants improve their speech understanding significantly after a year of use.

If you have hearing loss and rely on lip reading to communicate, your health care practitioner and an audiologist may recommend a cochlear implant.

The following factors are taken into account when performing a cochlear implant:

• People who have hearing loss and are unable to benefit from hearing aids.
• People who can hear in both ears but with a low level of clarity.
• People who, although using hearing aids, rely extensively on lip reading.

To establish whether cochlear implants are a good option for you, your doctor will conduct a complete medical exam.

The following items are likely to be included in the assessment:

• Hearing, speech, and sometimes balance tests are performed.
• A physical exam is used to determine the health of the inner ear.
• The state of the cochlea and the structure of the inner ear are assessed using a CT scan or MRI of the skull.
• A psychological examination may be used to measure a person’s capacity to learn to use cochlear implants.

Your surgeon will make an incision behind the ear and create a little depression in the Mastoid area of the skull where the internal device will be placed.

Following that, the surgeon will drill a small hole in the cochlea and thread the electrode array of the internal device through it.

After that, the incision is stitched and closed, and the internal device is hidden behind the skin.

Following treatment, you or your kid may experience the following:

Any pressure or discomfort over the implanted ear or ears should be avoided.

Nausea or dizziness

The majority of patients feel well enough to return home the day after surgery or the next day. In about a week, you’ll need to go to the doctor to have your stitches removed. To give the operation site time to heal, the cochlear implants will not be turned on (activated) until two to six weeks after the procedure.

Although cochlear implantation surgery is generally safe, there are several hazards associated with it:

It’s possible that you’ll lose any remaining hearing. The device’s implantation may impair your residual hearing ability in that ear.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord that occurs after cochlear implant surgery in children. Meningitis vaccinations are frequently administered prior to implantation.

Surgery to repair or replace a defective device is performed on occasion.

Rarely, the following dangers may arise:

• Infection at the surgical site Facial paralysis Problems with balance