Guest guest Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 Hi , The cochlear implant is a surgically implanted device that consists of the receiver and electrode array. The receiver and electrode array are one piece, and it is implanted through the same incision. The receiver is placed in the mastoid bone, above and behind the ear. The electrode array is attached to the receiver and it is implanted into the cochlea (the snail-shaped part of the inner ear). The electrode array replaces the damaged nerve cell fibers in the inner ear. It is necessary to wear an external headset on the head to pick up sound and transmit it to the receiver. The BTE that looks like a hearing aid is actually the microphone and speech/sound processor. There are many misconceptions and false rumors about cochlear implants. Although complications do occur, these are a small percentage. The failure rate is 1%-2%. The risk of meningitis with cochlear implants is very comparable to that of the general population. Implant centers are now recommending that CI recipients get a meningitis vaccine, just to be on the safe side. Those with a prior history of meningitis and/or cochlea malformations are at a slightly higher risk. The vaccine should eliminate the risk and provide peace of mind. The benefits of a cochlear implant vary with each individual; however 98%-99% do attain better hearing ability and speech & sound discrimination than what they had with hearing aids, so it is highly successful. My speech discrimination ability improved from 12% with hearing aids to 92% with my cochlear implant! It has been an absolute miracle! I can hear on the phone, enjoy music and TV once again, understand speech without lip-reading and from another room, listen to the radio, you name it! I hear better than ever before with my cochlear implant! You do have to go back for programming (mapping). The speech/sound processor is programmed so that you hear the way things sound good to you - so you have custom hearing! An average number of programming sessions is about 10 the first year, and once or twice per year after that. It just depends on whether the individual is satisfied with their " maps " or want to keep trying different adjustments. Some cochlear implant recipients also go to auditory-verbal therapy to exercise their hearing ability and get the maximum benefit from their implant. This also depends on the individual and how much help they need adjusting to hearing with the implant. Some people understand speech on the first day of activation; others take longer and benefit greatly from AV therapy. I hope this helps answer your questions! I will close in saying that I have yet to meet a cochlear implant recipient who regretted having it done, and most say they wish they had done it sooner! Many are now pursuing bilateral implants (2nd implant in other ear) because they love the first one so much! Best wishes, Benton > Hi, > I was wondering what are risks and benefits of CI. Do you need to wear the behind ear (has a bee's sting) the one without the mold??? it has the coinlike u have to put it like upper ear on the side of your head??? I recieved the Bionics catalogs..I'm confused. So it's the device that they put in your ears...not an actual human tissues. I heard that there are alot of complications such as mennigitis (???), electrode, and etc.. Just want to know the risks and benifits... and after u get ur CI, that's it? do you have to go back to clinics again like the time u were hard of hearing or deaf to get hearing evaluations??? Getting CI, is it actually like people who are not hard of hearing or deaf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 , This was a beautiful explanation. I didn't copy the whole thing back into this message but wanted to say thanks so much for taking the time to write it in answer to 's questions. Alice Benton <MissBionicEar@...> wrote: " Hi , The cochlear implant is a surgically implanted device that consists of the receiver and electrode array. The receiver and electrode array are one piece, and it is implanted through the same incision. The receiver is placed in the mastoid bone, above and behind the ear. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 15, 2003 Report Share Posted June 15, 2003 Hi , Trying to answer your questions here. Many people use both an implant and a hearing aid in the non-implanted ear. Ask the audiologist at the implant center if she'd want you to not use the hearing aid while you are adjusting to the implant. It varies with centers. But if you are going to wear the aid later on, it should make sense to start out that way. I had no aural rehab. I think that is mainly for people who were deaf from birth, or haven't had hearing for a long time. If your hearing just recently became very bad, then you shouldn't need aural rehab. You KNOW what words sound like. It's not like you know a lot of words, but have never heard them. To get used to hearing with an implant, you have to wear it and listen. Some people use talking books and read along with it. You'll have your hearing aid to help you. How long recovery takes differs from person to person. Have you ever had surgery before with general anethetic? Because that would be a good determinant for you. It's the anesthesia that knocks many of us for a loop and take a while to recover from. If you can schedule near a holiday weekend that you'd have off anyway, and have surgery on a Friday, with a Monday holiday, you might well be back to work the following Monday. You're asking good questions. Nucleus Volunteer ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2004 Report Share Posted March 22, 2004 Hi , I wasn't on this group last year but will try to help with your questions. To me, the only factor in waiting on Medicaid is possibly not any out of pocket expenses at all. If your insurance is covering the surgery waiting might really help financially. Yes, you need to meet ci recipients and please join or at least visit a support group. I thought I was well read about implants going into my surgery and I have learned so much more meeting people and reading these forums...well, this one anyway! You don't have to have a medical degree or be a trained audiologist to make informed choices and as far as seasons...none is wrong when you are ready. Debra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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