It maybe true for the majority of CI users. All CI users should know before getting implanted that there is a chance it may not work. I read the link and it seems they just got it and may be a programme/map issue?
Im sure those CIborgs had their CI programmed many times. I had my HAs programmed many times and what I hear is probably the best I am gonna hear and I will make do with what I have. I hope that person did his research before getting CI and had realistic expectations.
Nothing new..I see numerous of children whose CIs do not work year after year. However, I do see some children with working CIs too.
You mentioned that CIs have a 75% success rate on children, isn't this still higher than if they never got CI? Id implant my child if HAs weren't helping and he had at least 100db HL, if CI helps then good, otherwise at least we tried. Id try all the best HAs before trying CI. Sometimes nothing works.
Low expectations is the answer. I was told not to expect much post implant.
Not everyone succeed with implants.
Most of us know that
Id think about CI if I had a dead ear or if I lost all my hearing in both ears. Glad to hear CIs work for you, you do have worse hearing than me.
I agree with Lissa's post. :roll: @ thread!
Im sorry to say you can't accept the fact not everyone benefits from CI. You have to realise everyone is different! I am happy for you that your CI works great.
What defines success? For one person it is understanding spoken language without lipreading, for another, hearing very loud enviromental sounds is a great improvement. I think the key is reasonable expectations coupled with great follow up in therapy and audiologically. I think with those two things nearly every CI will be a "success”
In my case, if I lost all my residual hearing, id consider CI a success if it can get me similar hearing to what I currently hear with HAs before I lost my remaining residual hearing. There's a good chance id hear better but realistically hearing something is better than nothing. It's possible the person who said CI didn't work may have had too much hearing and gotten plenty of benefits from HAs already so there was a good chance CI wouldn't be any better or it would be worse. You said in the past it was impossible to hear worse with CI than HA, I kindly wanted to point out that this is not true at all. I am not bashing CI here, I give CI credit for it improving the hearing of at least 75% of those who get CI vs. the best HAs properly fit.
Those who are "shoo-in" candidates for CI enjoy over 90% success of a significent improvement with CI. The borderline candidates with 40-60% speech have over 50% chance of at least a small improvement with CI. I read one study that showed those with CI were scoring anywhere from 20% to 75% speech in quiet on a fairly difficult speech test and that average was 55%. Of course on an easy test such as the HINT-Q all the CI scores would be higher. CI candidacy should be tightened up so that only candidates who score on speech similar to the worst CI results would be candidates. That way, almost no one would hear worse with CI when they are already starting at near 0% with HAs to begin with.
It makes no sense to risk someone whos already hearing at around 50% with HAs because there's still plenty with CI who score at 50% or less. I know the
average CI score is quite a bit above 50% but it's still a big risk that youll get a
below average CI result like this person I posted about. I wish audiologists wouldn't be so quick to push CI on those already getting significent benefit from HAs. I wish CI wasn't so overhyped so people would have realistic expectations. I respect those that choose CI as long as they do their research and inform themselves. That's all I ask.
Good Post Faire_Jour.
Deafdude, success and failure also apply to hearing aids.
I know this. One should try different HAs if one brand of HAs isn't a success. If no HA is successful(which is common for the profoundly deaf) then they can
decide to make do with whatever they still hear with HAs or take a chance with CI, it's their
choice. I will wish them the best of luck with whatever choice they make.
