Cochlear Implant for Hearing Loss Treatment : Complete guide to Complication, Risk, Recovery time and Estimated cost

1. Hearing Loss treatment By Cochlear Implantation

2. What is Cochlear Implant ? Cochlear Implant is a solution for children and adults who are suffering from hearing loss. In this article, you can get an idea about how Cochlear Implant worksand if you might be a candidate. A cochlear implant is the best option for a better hearing for the people who are suffering from severe damage to the sensory cells in the inner ear. While most people with hearing loss are quite successful with hearing aids. Cochlear implant is a tiny complex medical device and these work differently than hearing aids. Not only cochlear implant amplifies sound, it provides the sense of sound by stimulating the auditory nerve directly. Cochlear Implants do not treat hearing loss, but they provide an opportunity for the severely hard of hearing or deaf to perceive the sensation of sound by bypassing the damaged inner ear.

3. What are the parts of Cochlear implant • A microphone which picks up sound from the environment • A speech processor which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone • A transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses • An electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve

4. How do cochlear implant works? • A cochlear implant operates by using two main components i.e. an external part that hooks over the ear and an internal plant implanted by surgery. The two components are coupled using a powerful magnet. External The external component of a cochlear implant contains a microphone, a speech processor and a transmitter. The microphone and speech processor are combined in a small unit that looks like a behind-the-ear hearing aid. A small wire usually attaches them to the transmitter, which is positioned over the internal part of the device. The microphone picks up sounds and sends it to the speech processor. The processor analyzes and digitizes the signal before sending it to the transmitter. The transmitter then codes the signals and sends them to the implanted receiver by the magnetic coupling.

5. Internal The internal part of a cochlear implant includes a receiver, which is located under the skin on the temporal bone, and one or more electrode arrays. The receiver gets the signals from the transmitter and converts them to electrical pulses. It then dispatches the pulses to the electrodes that have been inserted deeply into the inner ear. These electrodes directly stimulate the auditory nerve throughout a portion of the cochlea and the brain then interprets these signals as sound.

6. History of Cochlear Implant Scientists have experimented with the use of electrical stimulation for the treatment of hearing. In fact Alessandro Volta experimented on himself in the year 1800 by inserting a metal rod in his ear and then stimulating them with electricity. In the mid 1950s experimentation with electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve really ramped up, as researchers performed several successful studies on deaf individuals. By 1972, researchers made the first implantable single-channel cochlear implant. More than a thousand people, mostly military veterans and children, were surgically fitted with the single-channel implant from 1972 through the mid-1980s. The first implantable single-channel cochlear implant was designed by scientists more than 40 years ago in 1972.

7. Who is a Candidate for a cochlear implant? • Both children and adults can make candidates for cochlear implants depending on the hearing loss. Eligibility Candidacy requirements have expanded exponentially thanks to ongoing research. The FDA approves candidacy criteria when new devices are brought to market but insurance companies also set criteria of their own. As a result, cochlear implant candidacy is usually determined on a case by case basis. The general candidacy guidelines include the following: • Children • Adults

8. Children with hearing loss as young as 12 months old can be eligible for a cochlear implant. Experts recommend implantation as early as possible to expose children to sounds during the critical period of language acquisition. After cochlear implant, they must undergo intense speech and language therapy in order to achieve the best pos Children are considered viable candidates when they: • Have profound hearing loss in both ears. • Get little or no benefit through the use of hearing aids. • Are healthy and any medical conditions would not compromise surgery. • Understand (when able), along with their parents, their role in the successful use of cochlear implants.

9. Adults • Adults may qualify for cochlear implant regardless of whether they lost their hearing before or after learning language. Those adults who developed language before losing their hearing (postlingually deafened) typically have greater success with cochlear implants than those who had not developed language before losing their hearing (prelingually deafened). Adult candidates are generally eligible for a cochlear implant if they: • Have severe or profound hearing loss in both ears. • Get little or no benefit from hearing aids. • Have no medical problems that could put them at risk during surgery.

10. What is the process for getting a cochlear implant? • Firstly, a cochlear implant candidate should visit an ENT physician or an audiologist for a referral to a cochlear implant centre. In the clinic, the patient has to undergo through audio logical and psychological testing, a medical exam will be conducted to determine that the patient will benefit from Cochlear Implant or not. Counselling will be done of the patient to make sure he or she understand the large follow up commitment required after the implant surgery, as well as what to expect regarding device performance and limitations. • If the patient is considered a viable candidate, he or she will undergo the cochlear implant surgery, which is done under general anaesthesia. Cochlear implant typically takes between two to four hours and most people spend one night in the hospital afterward. When they leave the hospital, the person will not be able to hear yet. Although the internal components have been placed, the surgical site must heal before the external device is placed.

11. Are cochlear implants covered by insurance? Yes. In many cases, cochlear implants are covered by Medicare or Medicaid and many private and commercial insurers. Coverage can vary widely and patients may still be responsible for significant out-of-pocket costs. Most surgeons who perform cochlear implants have dedicated insurance experts on staff who can help patients understand and navigate individual plans and answer questions. Cochlear implants require a prior authorization in order for insurance to pick up the tab.

12. What does the future hold for cochlear implants? • Cochlear implants have come a long way in their 40-year history and much advancement remains to be made. Researchers are already looking into making the technology more accessible and the outcomes more consistent. Here's a look into some of the current research on cochlear implants: • There are large-scale studies about children who were implanted very early with cochlear devices. Researchers are interested in which variables account for individual differences in speech and language abilities, academic performance and reading ability among children who use cochlear implants. • More and more individuals are being implanted with bilateral cochlear implants. Researchers are investigating whether two implants make a significant difference in the ability to localize sound and hear speech in the presence of background noise. • Engineers are always investigating new signal processing technologies and improved microphones, as well as new battery technologies for more convenient use.

13. What are the benefits of a cochlear implant? • Many adults with cochlear implants report that they: • Hear better with a cochlear implant than with a hearing aid • A recent study has shown that people with a cochlear implant achieve an average of 80% sentence understanding, compared with 10% sentence understanding for hearing aids Cochlear implantation is designed for people with severe to profound hearing loss who derive limited benefits from hearing aids. The speech/language/hearing skills will improve following cochlear implantation. The improvement depends upon many factors.

14. What factors can affect these benefits from Cochlear Implant? • The benefits of cochlear implants are often different for different individuals. These differences are often due to: • how long they have had hearing loss before receiving a cochlear implant • how severe their hearing loss is • the condition of their inner ear • the presence of other medical conditions • How much practice they include in everyday life when using their cochlear implant system.

15. Some of the best hospitals available for Cochlear Implant in India are: • Apollo Spectra Hospital, Bangalore • Apollo Spectra Hospital, New Delhi • Columbia Asia Hospital, Bangalore • Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurgaon • Apollo Hospital, Chennai • Sevenhills Hospital, Mumbai • Fortis Vasant Kunj, New Delhi • Medanta - The Medicity, Gurgaon • BLK Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi • MoolchandMedcity, New Delhi • Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi

16. Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata • Wockhardt Hospital, Bangalore • Manipal Hospital, Bangalore • Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon • BGS Global Hospital, Chennai • Max Super specialty Hospital • Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi • Rockland Hospital, New Delhi • Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon • Metro Hospital, Noida • Fortis Hospital, Mulund • Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai

17. What is the cost of Cochlear Implant in India? The average cost of cochlear implant in Indiawillcost around 20 lakhs. The average cost of Cochlear Implant in India is very low as compared to the other countries.

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