Heres a boost

[Miss-Delectable]

http://www.bordermail.com.au/newsflow/pageitem?page_id=1072040

COCHLEAR Ltd believes sales of its hearing implants could get an extra boost in the next few years as an increasing number of patients elect to have a device in both ears.

The bionic ear maker sold more than 10,800 of its cochlear implants devices that enable deaf people to hear in 2004-2005.

But chief executive Chris Roberts estimates Cochlear will sell more than 20,000 implants in the current financial year, which will be the first full year since it bought Sweden-based Entific Medical Systems, a company that makes an implant known as Baha.

The Baha devices are screwed into the patients skull, allowing the sound vibrations to be transmitted through the bone, and are designed for the hearing impaired or people who are deaf in only one ear.

 

[deafdyke]

I dunno....I think that bilateral implantation is STILL gonna be really rare for at least five or ten years, even in the US. Most people do have some residual hearing in their unimplanted ear that can be helped by a hearing aid.
Also insurance companies are going to be really reluctant to give their patients TWO implants, since implants are expensive. I mean bilateral implantation will turn someone into a million dollar healthcare person EASILY!
And probaly outside of the US, it will be rare since just getting one in a country that has universal health care is VERY hard! (which is how it SHOULD be!)