What does cochlear implant surgery involve?
CI surgery carries the normal risks of major ear surgery requiring general anesthesia. The surgeon cuts a small flap in the skin behind one ear to drill a hole in the bone to access the inner ear. A wire is threaded into the inner ear and its receiver coil is set in the bone behind the ear. The surgeon then sutures back on the skin flap. Most patients spend the night in the hospital and are discharged the next day. People with hearing loss differ in what frequencies they cannot hear. After the device is activated, it must be “tuned” or adjusted to that person’s needs and comfort, somewhat like an equalizer on a high-end home entertainment sound system. Older children and adults learn how to adjust the processors themselves during therapy. How much benefit can a person get from a cochlear implant? It depends on: How long a person has been deaf. People who become deaf after they have already learned how to speak seem to benefit more than others. Those born deaf benefit more, if they rece
