Cochlear implants

1) Who gets cochlear implants?

In general, cochlear implants are used to allow deaf people to hear. Although many people who are “hearing impaired” or “hard of hearing” believe they are deaf, “deaf” is generally defined as having more than a 90 dB HL hearing loss. In other words, if someone can benefit from hearing aids, that is usually the treatment of choice. However, if they are not able to satisfactorily benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants are often a surgical option. Additionally, because of the excellent progress made with cochlear implants over then last two decades, sometimes, people with severe hearing loss (defined as worse than 70 dB HL) might be implanted and sometimes hearing aids are combined with cochlear implants in particular situations. Cochlear implants and hearing aids can be combined in one ear, and sometimes a cochlear implant is placed on one ear while a hearing aid is worn on the other. The best way to determine candidacy for a cochlear implant, is to undergo a “cochlear implant evaluation” at a cochlear implant center.

2)How does a cochlear implant work?

A cochlear implant works by electrically stimulating the hearing nerves. When a patient receives a cochlear implant, it means their ear is not working in a typical or natural way. Therefore, the cochlear implant is surgically placed behind their ear, and rather than using the natural ear (pinna, ear canal, ear drum, ossicles etc) to receive sound and send it to the inner ear, the sound is received at the cochlear implant’s microphone and then changed to electrical signals, which are sent directly to the inner ear, bypassing the normal sound delivery system. Modern cochlear implants are amazing. The majority of patients receiving cochlear implants can speak on the phone, and cochlear implants in 2005, are about the same size as traditional behind-the-ear hearing aids.

http://www.healthyhearing.com/answers/cochlear_implants.asp