Advanced bionics
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cdmeggers
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I just got my AB implant recently, but so far I've been quite happy with it. The ClearVoice strategy which can be added on, it's an awesome feature for noisy situations. It focuses more on voice and quiets down the constant background noises, and there's 3 different levels from low to high. A few parents on the HearingJourney.com forums have mentioned having ClearVoice added to their kids' processors, and have been seeing improvements in school or noisy settings.
Also the Neptune processor is awesome, nothing on the ear, and can be waterproof for wet situations, and the controller can be removed so if your child is really young, there's no possibilities of playing with the volume or accidentally switching programs. The Neptune uses a single AAA battery, so if your son should ever run out of battery problem and you're out and about without any spares on you, you can easily buy more anywhere.
The customer service has been great too, real quick with sending out orders or replacements (usually next day or 2 I'll have it).
Advanced Bionics has had some recalls in the past, but they have been very quick to pull the product off the shelf and fixing the issues. The most recent recall, there was only 2 implants that were affected. I think AB might have jumped the gun a bit on this particular recall, but they wanted the issues resolved before any more people had problems.
Also the Neptune processor is awesome, nothing on the ear, and can be waterproof for wet situations, and the controller can be removed so if your child is really young, there's no possibilities of playing with the volume or accidentally switching programs. The Neptune uses a single AAA battery, so if your son should ever run out of battery problem and you're out and about without any spares on you, you can easily buy more anywhere.
The customer service has been great too, real quick with sending out orders or replacements (usually next day or 2 I'll have it).
Advanced Bionics has had some recalls in the past, but they have been very quick to pull the product off the shelf and fixing the issues. The most recent recall, there was only 2 implants that were affected. I think AB might have jumped the gun a bit on this particular recall, but they wanted the issues resolved before any more people had problems.
Our daughter wears AB harmony processors (completely off the ear using the kinderclip) and has had a very good experience with them. She will be three in October and will have used them for two years in November. Technologically, AB offers features that other manufacturers do not in terms of sound processing, wearing options, and waterproofing. We have found their customer service department to be top notch, and service after the sale has been incredible. They provide listening exercises in their "listening room" website (which is used by our school district for kids no matter which brand of implant they have), and we have even met with their local BEA (Bionic Ear Association) rep to talk about how we felt our daughter was doing.
As far as reliability and quality, they rate at the top as well. One thing to remember about the recent recall is that the company VOLUNTARILY stopped production and recalled un-implanted units when TWO people experienced a problem. I think that of the recalled units they only found one more that might have had the problem, but they modified their manufacturing processes before resuming production. On the contrary, Cochlear waited until there were 300+ people who experienced similar problems before they recalled their devices last year, and during the recall Cochlear reverted to using old technology to implant people. To me, this seems unethical. During the AB recall, if a patient needed a new device, AB paid for a Cochlear brand to be used rather than to revert to old technology.
I think that if you join the BEA website (Hearing Journey - Cochlear Implant Forum) and/or call AB customer service, you can be connected with one of their field Audiologists who can answer or get answers to any questions you have. I think I used the chat with customer service feature on their web site and was talking on the phone with an Audiologist within 5 minutes. Not a sales rep or marketer, but an actual Audiologist who could speak technically with me.
Our daughter was born profoundly deaf but is a chatterbox now, and can hear sounds and in situations that amaze me. This technology is amazing!
As far as reliability and quality, they rate at the top as well. One thing to remember about the recent recall is that the company VOLUNTARILY stopped production and recalled un-implanted units when TWO people experienced a problem. I think that of the recalled units they only found one more that might have had the problem, but they modified their manufacturing processes before resuming production. On the contrary, Cochlear waited until there were 300+ people who experienced similar problems before they recalled their devices last year, and during the recall Cochlear reverted to using old technology to implant people. To me, this seems unethical. During the AB recall, if a patient needed a new device, AB paid for a Cochlear brand to be used rather than to revert to old technology.
I think that if you join the BEA website (Hearing Journey - Cochlear Implant Forum) and/or call AB customer service, you can be connected with one of their field Audiologists who can answer or get answers to any questions you have. I think I used the chat with customer service feature on their web site and was talking on the phone with an Audiologist within 5 minutes. Not a sales rep or marketer, but an actual Audiologist who could speak technically with me.
Our daughter was born profoundly deaf but is a chatterbox now, and can hear sounds and in situations that amaze me. This technology is amazing!
Cloggy
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Obviously, it might be interesting to know why the doctor recommends AB.. The doctor in the next hospital might recommend another brand.
Lotte's surgeon had a dilemma there, since his wife was a representative for MedEl. He couldn't recommend anything...
In the end, we searched on the web, and had a look at how many CI there were in Norway regarding each brand, Technology etc. At the time cochlear came out with a complete new model. Also, we thought they look better than the MedEl.
So, I would advise you to check with the doctor to find out why he recommends it. You might get some good information from him/her. (and please pass the info on to us.. LOL..)
Good luck..