Cochlear Implant Surgery

About Cochlear Implant Surgery

Cochlear implant surgery places an electronic device that provides a sense of sound to people with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss who gain limited benefit from hearing aids. Unlike a hearing aid, which amplifies sound, a cochlear implant bypasses damaged hair cells and directly stimulates the auditory nerve. Through an incision behind the ear, the surgeon drills through the mastoid bone to reach the middle ear and inserts a thin electrode array into the cochlea, while the receiver stimulator is placed in a recess beneath the skin. Weeks later the device is activated and programmed, and an external processor worn behind the ear transmits signals through the skin. Candidates range from young children born deaf to older adults who have lost hearing, and early implantation in children is associated with better spoken language development. Extensive auditory rehabilitation is part of the process. Multichannel implants were developed in the 1970s and 1980s, including work by Graeme Clark in Australia, and implants are now used in hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.