Cochlear Implants

It’s a Whole New World with Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants help children who do not receive enough benefit from hearing aids. These devices stimulate the auditory nerve by using electrodes placed in the cochlea of the inner ear. In the United States, around 38,000 children received cochlear implants between 2012 and 2022.

How Are Cochlear Implants Different from Hearing Aids?

Cochlear implants are similar to hearing aids in that they are small electronic devices designed to help children (and adults) with hearing loss. They typically restore hearing to a normal functioning range. Cochlear implants are designed to provide a sense of hearing in severely or profoundly impaired children. They achieve this by directly electrically stimulating the hearing nerve, while hearing aids amplify sounds.

Cochlear implants have external and internal parts. The external part sits behind the ear and picks up sounds with a microphone. The sound is then transmitted to the internal elements of the implant.

How Can Hearing Implants Help Children?

In 2000, the FDA approved cochlear implants for use in children starting at 12 months old. The technology can potentially change the lives of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

Using a cochlear implant when children are young connects them to sounds as they develop speech and language skills. Studies have shown that when a child receives implants and therapy prior to turning 18 months:

• They can hear, understand sound and music and communicate with others at better rates than children who receive implants when they are older.
• They develop language skills at similar rates to peers with normal hearing.
• They are often successful in mainstream classrooms.

Candidates for Pediatric Cochlear Implants

• Profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears
• The child receives little to no benefit from hearing aids
• There are no medical reasons the child cannot undergo surgery
• The child has access to appropriate education and rehabilitation follow-up after surgery
• Both parent and child are highly motivated to participate in the required rehabilitation programs
• Realistic expectations on the part of the parent(s) and, when appropriate, the child.

What Does Cochlear Implant Surgery Involve?

Cochlear implant surgery is completed either as a day surgery (arrive and go home the same day) or as an overnight stay. After completing the registration process at the facility, your child is given a mild sedative to aid in any separation anxiety the child may experience.

Your child will be in the operating room for approximately 2-1/2 hours. Immediately after surgery, your child will have a large Velcro bandage around the head that will be left on overnight (to be removed first thing the morning after surgery). The incision is positioned along the hairline and will measure 3-4cm (about 1.5 inches) in length. A small amount of hair (1-2cm strip or about .5 inches) next to the incision is shaved on the day of the surgery. Once the hair has grown back, it is difficult to see or find the scar that is left from the incision.

All the stitches are under the skin (none need to be removed), and the incision line is covered with a substance related to super glue. This area will need to be kept dry for 3 days after surgery. Your child can typically return to normal activities 1 week after surgery.

Our Team Is in Your Family’s Corner

Early intervention is critical in developing spoken language for children with hearing loss. Our audiologists specialize in hearing loss testing in infants and children of all ages. We will partner with you to determine if cochlear implants are a good fit and guide your family through every step of the treatment process.