Chevy57

I got email message from my friend about asking what is best model of CI? I dunno...

He wants to know what model of CI does your friend have? AB, Cochlear and BEA before he will got new CI.

If you have a friend, does this person born with profound deafness and hear better after CI? Is this person hates deaf with ASL? Is this person both hearing and ASL? Other?

I will reply him so he can get survey samples models of CI who experiencing them.

Deafness

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Cheetah

Wirelessly posted (Backberry)

Only Advanced Bionics and Cochlear are worth looking at. I have Advanced Bionics and am very pleased. The company is very responsive to inquiry and parts. I needed a part on travel and I received it the next morning. I've heard customer service is not as good with Cochlear, but they do have a good product. I would not consider MedEl.

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drphil

Like Cheetah I have Advanced Bionics-Harmony. I have mentioned this before-recommended at the time of implantation-July/07 as being the most suitable for me at that point of time. I have no complaints so far. Coming up to 5 years shortly.

My cousin choose Med El over Cochlear about a year ago. ( A B was still had production problem-then). She is quite happy with the choice. Sunnybrook/Toronto does use the 3 companies-at the moment.They have been around since 1984 and implanted 950 out of 3000 referred patients. ( Info recent patients meeting)

Which company's implant is discussed at the point of consideration for the person being implanted based on their experiences to date -which is valuable.

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Frisky Feline

AB or Cochlear. my hub likes AB but no upgrade so he picked cochlear because of long years and upgrades. *shrugs* AB has more frequent sounds better than cochlear.

cdmeggers

I'm picking AB for myself. Your friend needs to do some research and figure out which device will be the best one for himself.

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lovezebras

I'm going with cochlear for myself ..it's all personal preference ..tell your friend to contact each company or order a CI kit online and see what they like from each companies product

bbaseballboy123

I'm gonna have to agree that AB sounds better than cochlear, but I think its all because of the mics on each processor (n5 and harmony)

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Angel1989

My appointment with my audiologist is this Friday to pick out what equipment I want. I thought I had made my mind up going with Nucleus5. Now I do not know. I assumed if the doctor likes this model best then that is what I should use. Any thoughts about that? If I decide on what company to use is that all I need to do? I keep reading about different processors, is that a different decision? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!!!

drphil

Angel just discuss with your audi - the concerns you may have in part from reading AllDeaf.com. Then go from there.
Good luck

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Angel1989

Thanks for the support. My one giant hurdle is that I have not read any posts about CI helping or diminishing the horrific loud noise I have 24/7. If I new of others in my same situation and knew their outcome was good. That would definitely help my decision. Anyone out there like me????

drphil

Angel: Probably your condition is not what "usually occurs"-sudden massive loss to deafness. Thus one can't advise/offer personal experience to you.
Again hopefully your doctors can help you in your very trying circumstances.

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bbaseballboy123

Its not just the audiologist, but usually, audiologist team up with surgeon and many surgeons dont do AB anymore (they make contracts with the companies).

Good luck! I cant wait to hear about your journey of getting one!

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cdmeggers

where'd you get that many surgeons don't do AB anymore? As far as I know, plenty and plenty of surgeons are still doing AB.

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bbaseballboy123

Well I know that my surgeon that did my last surgery is not doing AB anymore because of their recalls in the past and told me that many other surgeons are now on contracts with Cochlear instead.
This was a year half ago, maybe more surgeons have opened to the AB after they fixed the recall.

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dbedave

My daughter has cochlear, she has been implanted for 14 yrs now,we have had no problems at all plus we have had three upgrades witch she says has helped heralot. Whenever we need new coil cord or anything its there overnight. Great service

MosDeaf

What is wrong with Med-El? Curious because I am a potential candidate for one of their clinical trials.

Angel1989

That is good to know. Customer service is an important factor in this huge decision. I appreciate all of your opinions greatly. Keep them comimg. It makes my decision easier knowing you all care and want to follow my journey. I will definitely keep you in the loop.

BleedingPurist

Why do you feel that way about Med El? Just curious what led to what seems to be a negative opinion of them.

I am also an AB-user, but if I had to choose otherwise, it would definitely be Med El. Cochlear just doesn't have the internal technology. Med El has yet to unleash the potential of their internal implant as far as I understand, but it's ready to go.

BleedingPurist

It's not so much the mics, though the placement of the T-mic IS a definite factor. It really does come down to the internal technology.

I know you have first-hand experience. For AB-users, if you ever used CIS, you got the gist of what Speak and ACE do. Then if you moved on to Hi Res or Fidelity 120, you experienced a jump in sound quality with each upgrade. Cochlear hasn't moved beyond ACE (because the internal device can't.) That is why their emphasis is on the external processor in adding the features you'll find on a hearing aid.

cdmeggers

when I first started researching CIs about 10 years ago, Med-El was immediately crossed off my list as I didn't like the way the processor was designed (made me think of a gun). Nowadays, eh I don't know. I'm just gonna go with AB and that's that. Is it Friday yet?!

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Habanerocat

I sense a "BleedingPurist" backlash coming!

eggyman

i no experience on implant yet

BleedingPurist

And why would that be? Do you fully understand the technology of the internal implants or are you just reacting emotionally? Notice I hold both Med El and AB in similar regard, but I don't have Med El. I'm a tech guy. Ponder that.

Habanerocat

Your profile says your involved in transport?

BleedingPurist

I suppose that is your way of dancing around saying, No, you don't understand the internal technology and strategies. I rest my case.

I haven't said or done anything controversial here, so can the alarmist attitude.

ptcallaghan

Absolutely nothing...Med-El has given me my life back...it drives me nuts reading all the misinformed posts about Med-El.....Personally I wouldnt pick any other brand ever...

Cochlear and AB have huge marketing budgets and apparently have brainwashed many people out there...

Do your own research on the three and make your mind up based on the merits of each...not the biased opinions of others...there are some independent reviews out there you just have to look. I cant think of a specific one of the top of my head but search around and you shall find.

ptcallaghan

FWIW...The Med-El Opus 2 processor has come along way from the older processors. It is definitely the smallest of the three, which for my tiny ears is a god-send. I pretty much wouldnt be able to use the other two brands because they are so big.

It is available in like 9 colours now and as I have had it almost a year now, I can tell you the thing is very durable despite being sent flying off my head a few times...again likely due to the small ears.

BleedingPurist

I completely agree!

As an AB user, I have nothing but respect for Med El. I think they came out with some awesome tech with their newest array, exactly what Cochlear should have done for two array releases now. At the time I was implanted Med El was not offered and it was the Pulsar, I believe, that was available at the time (I am not sure on the name now, it had a 12 electrode array.) To be honest, it was easy to pick AB because I wouldn't have considered the older array, but today.... that would be a tough decision between the two! I think you guys are only going to see the capability expand as they upgrade the software with even more advanced strategies, just as AB went from HiRes to Fidelity 120. That's the beauty of the technology you have, what it gives you now and what you'll have later with just a visit to your audiologist.

I honestly haven't encountered propaganda from other AB-users regarding Med El. They seem to share my respect for the company and the technology. It just seems it isn't commonly offered in the U.S. so many don't bother to do much in depth research on it since it's not available to them.

cdmeggers

I'm aware of the Opus 2 and such. But I'm still going with AB for myself.

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Angel1989

Today is my appointment with the audiologist. Also I will be having my MRI next week. I get to choose which ear I want implanted. They both are bad so I think I will base this decision on which ear has the worst noise. As of now that is my right ear. It is having a Fourth of July party with popping firecrackers since 3am this morning. I pray I make the right decisions.