- Joined
- Feb 27, 2003
- Messages
- 4,223
- Reaction score
- 134
The cochlear implant is truly a medical miracle. Although it does not restore or create normal hearing, it does help a person understand speech.
An ordinary hearing aid merely amplifies sound. The implant functions like the inner ear by converting sound waves into electrical impulses sent to the brain. Approved for adults in 1985 by the Food and Drug Administration, the device is meant for those whose hearing is profoundly impaired. It was approved for children in 1990.
Installing an implant is not to be taken lightly. It is a surgical procedure in which the device is implanted under the skin behind the ear.
More important, the cochlear implant is a lifetime commitment. After the device is inserted, a number of follow-up services are necessary. These involve the custom fitting of the device, activation and programming of the implant with its microphone, speech processor and transmitter. After all that, periodic adjustments, reprogramming and annual check-ups are required.
Moreover, this commitment involves a team of professionals, including audiologists, speech-language pathologists, educators, surgeons, psychologists and counselors. The pivotal member of this team is the audiologist, from initially determining an individual's candidacy for implantation to the actual activation and programming of the speech processor after surgery.
According to The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the best candidates for the implant are the very young (even as little as 12 months old) and those with the shortest duration of deafness. And thousands of adults and children have received them both in the United States and worldwide.
More recently there has been an increase in early detection programs that has resulted in the identification of more children who could benefit from cochlear implants.
The implant, however, is not cheap. While the average cost of the procedure and follow-up care exceeds $40,000, most health insurance plans cover cochlear implant services to some degree, including Medicare and the Veteran's Administration.
The cochlear implant is a prime example of how modern technology can be made to improve the quality of life for the severely hearing impaired.
Additional information on cochlear implants can be obtained from the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Self-Help for Hard of Hearing People and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
By Allan Appel
An ordinary hearing aid merely amplifies sound. The implant functions like the inner ear by converting sound waves into electrical impulses sent to the brain. Approved for adults in 1985 by the Food and Drug Administration, the device is meant for those whose hearing is profoundly impaired. It was approved for children in 1990.
Installing an implant is not to be taken lightly. It is a surgical procedure in which the device is implanted under the skin behind the ear.
More important, the cochlear implant is a lifetime commitment. After the device is inserted, a number of follow-up services are necessary. These involve the custom fitting of the device, activation and programming of the implant with its microphone, speech processor and transmitter. After all that, periodic adjustments, reprogramming and annual check-ups are required.
Moreover, this commitment involves a team of professionals, including audiologists, speech-language pathologists, educators, surgeons, psychologists and counselors. The pivotal member of this team is the audiologist, from initially determining an individual's candidacy for implantation to the actual activation and programming of the speech processor after surgery.
According to The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the best candidates for the implant are the very young (even as little as 12 months old) and those with the shortest duration of deafness. And thousands of adults and children have received them both in the United States and worldwide.
More recently there has been an increase in early detection programs that has resulted in the identification of more children who could benefit from cochlear implants.
The implant, however, is not cheap. While the average cost of the procedure and follow-up care exceeds $40,000, most health insurance plans cover cochlear implant services to some degree, including Medicare and the Veteran's Administration.
The cochlear implant is a prime example of how modern technology can be made to improve the quality of life for the severely hearing impaired.
Additional information on cochlear implants can be obtained from the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Self-Help for Hard of Hearing People and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
By Allan Appel