Who can benefit from Cochlear Implants ?
Any adult or child with bilateral (both ears) severe to profound sensorineural (nerve) hearing loss who obtains little or no benefit from hearing aids would be considered a candidate for a cochlear implant. Such deafness may be acquired following infection (such as meningitis), toxic effect of ototoxic drugs, trauma or age associated hearing loss. Some children may be born with deafness. Such congenital hearing impairment is not uncommon with 1 to 2 out of every 1000 live births are born with significant hearing loss. Such children need to be identified at the earliest. This ensures that appropriate measures are undertaken to rehabilitate their hearing loss at a time when language skills can most easily be acquired. Many of these children may eventually require a cochlear implant. Before the Cochlear Implant Surgery Patients who are candidates for cochlear implantation would meet with the cochlear implant team comprising the surgeon, audiologist and hearing therapist for a detailed eva
