The cochlear implant is an inner ear prosthesis that enables deaf patients with certain conditions to hear again. The system consists of two components. A microphone is attached to the outside of the head and connected to the implant in the cochlea.
Here you will find the most important information and qualified cochlear implant specialists.
A cochlear implant (CI) can enable some people with hearing loss to hear. Part of the implant is inserted into the cochlea in the ear. It is therefore a kind of inner ear prosthesis.
Theprerequisite for a cochlear implant is an intact auditory nerve. The implant generates electrical stimuli, which the auditory nerve transmits to the brain. The brain converts the impulses and thus enables hearing.
The results are particularly good if the hearing loss is recent. The cochlear implant can be used for newborns without hearing function as well as for acquired hearing loss.
The operation to insert the cochlear implants is performed by a specialist in ear, nose and throat medicine. He or she should have extensive experience in special microsurgery of the ear.
The basic therapy following the operation must also be carried out in special multidisciplinary centers with the cooperation of
must be carried out in special multidisciplinary centers.
For a cochlear implant to work, an intact auditory nerve is required. Its function is first checked using a promontory test before it is used.
The following can then benefit from a cochlear implant
can benefit.
Patients may have been deaf from birth or become deaf later in life.
A cochlear implant is all the more useful the earlier the inner ear prosthesis is inserted. A very long period of rehabilitation is necessary for patients who have suffered complete hearing loss a long time ago. The benefit of the cochlear implant can also be so small that patients are still dependent on lip-reading.
In children born deaf, implants should be inserted within the first few years of life. However, there is an initial observation phase of around 6 months before the procedure (except in exceptional cases). During this time, the doctors test the success of hearing aids and early intervention, i.e. alternative treatment options.
Deaf infants can often learn to hear and speak with a cochlear implant © Laurentiu Iordache | AdobeStock
Although the operation to insert the cochlear implant is demanding, it has few complications. It has no higher risks than middle ear surgery.
During the implantation of the inner ear prosthesis, some measurements are taken that are required to adjust the speech processor. After the wound has healed, the speech processor must be adjusted to the patient's individual needs.
The postoperative basic therapy, which includes
begins at the earliest four weeks after the operation. This is followed by follow-up therapy.
The check-ups, which are usually carried out on an inpatient basis, are initially very frequent. From six months after the initial placement of the cochlear implant system, two to six check-ups per year are required. They must be attended for the rest of the patient's life.
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