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Cochlear Implants Can Be Alternative to Hearing Loss

A cochlear implant can bring sound into the life of someone who has experienced hearing loss when ordinary hearing aids cannot. While hearing aids amplify sound, a surgically inserted cochlear implant is an artificial-hearing device designed to produce hearing sensations by electrically stimulating the inner ear.

The device contains electrodes that are inserted into the inner ear called the cochlea. Wires near the outside of the cochlea send information about high-pitched sounds, while the wires inserted in the center of the cochlea send information about low-pitched sounds. A microphone placed behind the ear sends the sounds through a processor that converts them into a signal that is transmitted to the implant by a small antenna.

Loyola University Health System’s Cochlear Implant Program tests potential implant patients and performs the implantation on eligible patients. Potential candidates undergo a series of tests to evaluate their appropriateness for the implant. Tests include a complete audiogram, a CAT scan to determine if the cochlea is patent (open) and a promontory stimulation test where electrical impulses are passed through the ear to the bony side of the cochlea to test the patient’s response to sounds. This test also determines which ear is most suitable for implantation.

Six weeks after implantation, an audiologist “turns on” the implant by passing sound to the cochlea. This is the first time the patient hears sounds via the implant. Follow-up care consists of appointments every four to six weeks for the first few months, then, an average of one appointment every year.

“The most important phase of our Cochlear Implant Program is the selection process,” said John Leonetti, M.D., director of Loyola’s Cochlear Implant Program. “We are very selective in recommending the implant surgery. As a result, 100 percent of the patients who have undergone the surgery at Loyola are successfully using the device.”  The surgical procedure is performed through the mastoid bone (located behind the ear) and takes approximately two hours. Patients stay in the hospital overnight, and most patients are back to work within one week.

Recently, the federal Food and Drug Administration expanded the patient criteria for a cochlear implant. As a result, more patients may be eligible for implantation. The expanded criteria are a result of advances in the implant which is smaller and pre-curved  enabling easier insertion. In addition, the improved implant design and capabilities allow adults who have moderate or worse hearing loss to be considered a candidate for implantation. 

For more information, contact the Loyola University Health System Division of Audiology at (708) 216-3821 or Leonetti via phone at (708) 216-4804 or ask your primary care physician if you might be a candidate.

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