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Cochlear Implant Services
Our Cochlear Implant Program provides services for teenagers and adults who have severe to profound hearing losses in both ears. Our team of audiologists work with four cochlear implant surgeons; Dr Anthony Parker, Dr Paul Canty, Dr Chris Que Hee and Dr Brent McMonagle.
The Neurosensory Unit’s Cochlear Implant program has been running for over 25 years and in that time has helped drastically improve the quality of life of over 200 recipients.
What is a cochlear implant?
A cochlear implant is an alternative to assist with listening when a hearing aid is not able to make sounds loud enough or clear enough to understand much of everyday speech. An implant, sometimes also called a ‘bionic ear’, does not give back normal hearing or take away all problems listening in background noise.
It works by bypassing the damaged hearing cells along the auditory nerve inside the ear, to directly stimulate the nerve fibres that travel from the inner ear up to the brain.
There is both an internal and external part to a cochlear implant system. The internal part is surgically implanted under the skin behind the ear. The external part (called the speech processor) is fitted about two weeks after the surgery. The speech processor transmits sound from the outside to the implant which then stimulates the hearing nerve.
What benefit does a cochlear implant provide?
For many people it significantly improves their quality of life by increasing their awareness of the sounds in environment and their understanding of conversation. There is a great deal of variation amongst implant users as to how well they understand speech.
Some people are able to follow conversation with individuals or small groups without being able to see the speaker’s face or to understand at least some speech on the phone. Others understand little or no speech without seeing faces. Many factors can affect the expected outcome. Some of these are: age at onset of hearing loss, duration of hearing loss, the amount of benefit hearing aids have provided in the past, how long hearing aids have been of limited benefit and the amount of hearing and hearing aid benefit in the ear not being considered for a cochlear implant.
As the weight of research grows on the benefits of bilateral cochlear implantation, more and more people are electing to have both ears implanted.
Is everyone with a severe or profound hearing loss a suitable candidate for a cochlear implant?
Not everyone with a severe or profound hearing loss would choose to have a cochlear implant and sometimes there are circumstances which mean that it is not possible or not the best available option for that person. In these cases we are happy to discuss the available alternatives.
What would an implant assessment involve?
We work closely with a team of surgeons to provide assessments to determine whether a cochlear implant may be of benefit in your patient’s specific case. The surgeons coordinate the medical aspects of an assessment.
The audiological assessment usually takes four and a half hours and includes:
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A case history to understand the current hearing difficulties and learn about your patient’s history of hearing problems.
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Detection of sounds at different pitches without hearing aids.
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Detection of sounds at different pitches with hearing aids.
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Understanding of words at different volumes without hearing aids.
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Understanding of words and sentences at different volumes with hearing aids.
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Evaluation of the middle ear to exclude the presence of any temporary ear infection.
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Evaluation of the hearing nerve that travels from the ear to the brain by auditory brainstem response testing.
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Evaluation of how the balance part of the inner ear is working by videonystagmography or electronystagmography.
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Discussion about cochlear implants, their benefits and limitations and the process that would be followed should your patient be a suitable candidate and choose to have a cochlear implant.
How do I arrange to have an assessment?
We require a referral from your doctor to carry out assessments. Currently, cochlear implant assessments and routine mapping are available at our Brisbane CBD, Chermside, Ashmore and Toowoomba clinics. Please call 07 3220 3522 for further information or to book an appointment.
What happens after the assessment?
After the assessment a report is sent to your doctor. If you are a candidate for a cochlear implant we would recommend referral to a cochlear implant surgeon if you have not consulted one previously. The implant surgeon will discuss all the medical aspects of a cochlear implant with you.
If you choose to have an implant you will have a choice about the colour and style of the external speech processor.
If I have a cochlear implant what happens after the operation?
It is usually at least two weeks after the operation before the speech processor is fitted and you first hear sounds from the implant. There are a series of tuning visits over the first thee months and it requires regular listening practise to obtain the best possible results. At first the sounds from the implant may seem strange and it takes up to six months for most improvement in sound quality and speech understanding to occur. Our clinic will provide you with a customised rehabilitation program - it requires commitment, patience and persistence on your part to achieve your full potential.
After the first six months, the implant will need tuning one or two times a year to keep best sound quality.