If you have trouble hearing and hearing aids don't help enough, cochlear implant surgery might be a good option for you. Over 225,000 people in the U.S. have had this surgery. During the procedure, doctors put a tiny electronic device under the skin behind your ear. This device helps you hear better by sending sound signals directly to your brain.
Amplifying your sense of sound with cochlear implants
When you have trouble hearing what your family and friends are saying, or you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves all the time, it can be really frustrating—especially if traditional hearing aids aren't helping much.
Our team has years of experience with cochlear implant surgery. A cochlear implant is a small electronic device placed inside the ear that can help restore hearing or allow you to hear for the first time. This procedure can truly change your life.
If a cochlear implant is the right choice for you, we'll work with you to create a personalized plan to help you hear better.
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Conditions
If you have severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, we carefully consider this when deciding if a cochlear implant is right for you. Sensorineural hearing loss happens when there’s damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear or to the nerves that send sound signals from your ear to your brain.
You may be a good candidate for a cochlear implant if your hearing loss is severe-to-profound. In general:
- People with profound hearing loss can't hear sounds that are over 90 decibels, like a vacuum cleaner or lawnmower.
- People with severe hearing loss can't hear sounds under 70 decibels, like a normal conversation, birds chirping, or the sound of the shower running.
If this sounds like your hearing loss, a cochlear implant might be an option to help you hear again.
Testing
Our team of audiologists and ear specialists will team up to figure out what's causing your hearing loss and if cochlear implants could help. We’ll use a few simple tests to learn more about your hearing, including:
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing
- CT and MRI imaging of inner ears
- Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) testing
- Immittance battery testing
- Pure tone air and bone conduction testing
- Speech audiometry testing
- Speech-language functioning tests
Some people who get a cochlear implant before they’ve learned to speak or understand language might need extra help to hear their best. If that’s you, we’ll set you up with a speech-language pathologist before the surgery and make an auditory rehabilitation plan to help you reach your hearing goals.
Treatments
At Tufts Medicine, we work with three brands of cochlear implants: Cochlear Americas, MED-EL and Advanced Bionics. Each brand has its own special features, and our team will help you choose the one that’s best for you. A cochlear implant takes sound from the world around you and makes it audible to your ears. With most hearing loss, the hairs of the inner ear are missing or damaged.
A hearing aid amplifies sounds so that damaged ears can better detect them. A cochlear implant is different from a hearing aid because it bypasses the damaged part of the ear to stimulate the nerve that directly controls your hearing.
Having a strong support team is really important as you adjust to your new sense of sound. This team, including audiologists, ENT surgeons and your friends and family, will help you learn how to use your hearing to communicate and live your life. We’re all here to support you every step of the way.
How cochlear implants work
A cochlear implant is made up of internal (inside the ear) and external (outside the ear) parts.
Internal parts of a cochlear implant include:
- An electrode placed in the cochlea of the inner ear
- A magnet
- A small stimulator, or receiver, placed under the skin behind the ear
The external parts of the cochlear implant are:
- Battery
- Headpiece
- Microphone
- Small cable
- External sound processor
Here's how the internal and external parts of a cochlear implant work together to deliver sound:
- The external sound processor captures sounds from your surroundings through a tiny microphone.
- Then, the processor converts the sounds into digital information and sends it to the implant through a magnetic headpiece.
- The implant turns the digital information into electrical signals, which travel through thin wires to the electrode.
- The electrode delivers the electrical signals to the auditory nerve.
- The hearing nerve carries the information to the brain, where it's processed as sound.
Cochlear implant surgical process
The cochlear implant operation usually takes 2-3 hours to insert the electrodes into the inner ear. You'll be placed under general anesthesia so that you're relaxed and asleep the entire time. Most people return home the same day or the following day.
Activation + programming
About 4 weeks after your surgery, you'll meet with your audiologist. They'll connect the external part of your cochlear implant and turn it on for the first time. After that, you'll have regular follow-up visits where you’ll work closely with your audiologist to adjust and fine-tune the device so it works just right for you.
Follow-up programming
If something doesn’t sound quite right, your audiologist will be there to make adjustments to your implant. In the first year, you’ll have regular visits for check-ups. After that, once you’re comfortable with your implant, most people only need to see their audiologist once a year for follow-ups.
Aural rehabilitation
Aural rehabilitation is a type of therapy that helps people with hearing loss learn or practice listening and communicating.
We’ll be with you every step of the way, with regular check-ups and training to help you get the most out of your implant. If you ever have questions or just need support, we're here for you.
I feel like I’m re-entering life. I’m able to really connect and listen to people in a way I haven’t been able to for years. Everyone at Tufts Medicine have been incredible…they take the time to explain everything, answer my and my family’s questions and have been so respectful throughout my treatment.
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