CI Brands

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TurboRev

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I am new to considering cochlear implant. My ski slope hearing is congenital, but my mid-range is getting a little worse as I get older (and after DJing for a while in my 20s). I fit the basic audiogram criteria for a CI and am considering it for the first time. I still have to go through all the candidacy steps and deal with insurance, but I am already researching. I have heard such weird things about the different implants (AB, Coch, ME) but when I try to look it up all I can really see is technical information I don't understand.
Can someone break down the differences in the implants themselves?
Or how they process speech/music/noisy environments?
How am I supposed to make this decision?
 
When I did my research I looked for community forums (websites and FB) for each brand so I could talk with people who actually use the CIs.

You can contact each brand and ask to have a representative contact you to discuss their brand. Of course they will be bias towards their brand and some may even say bad things about the other brands to "scare" you into getting their brand. That's why I preferred to talk to CI users.

One of the reasons I chose the brand I have is because I already had accessories that worked with the CI since they had partnered with my HA company.

edit: also be weary of an audiologist or surgeon who tries to steer you to one brand. They are supposed to be impartial to the brands.
 
LoveBlue said:
When I did my research I looked for community forums (websites and FB) for each brand so I could talk with people who actually use the CIs.

You can contact each brand and ask to have a representative contact you to discuss their brand. Of course they will be bias towards their brand and some may even say bad things about the other brands to "scare" you into getting their brand. That's why I preferred to talk to CI users.

One of the reasons I chose the brand I have is because I already had accessories that worked with the CI since they had partnered with my HA company.

edit: also be weary of an audiologist or surgeon who tries to steer you to one brand. They are supposed to be impartial to the brands.
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Don't worry, that's my frustration - not having help with recommendations. My audi and the hospital/clinic do not get kickbacks or commission, and work with all brands.

Okay, I will check out the boards. Unfortunately, there seems to be some confusion. One woman said she regretted the ME because the AB was a higher quality and she thought it would have done better with music. But looking at the ME it is more backwards and forwards compatible, so...???

Thank you for your suggestions!!
 
All brands will allow you to hear again. They all have their own programmings/speech processing strategies/etc, features, accessories, etc. I don't know if one brand does music better than others; I think music sounds just fine with my AB's. A lot of this depends on your brain processing/making sense of the CI auditory input/signals, and the work you put into it. It takes time to get used to CI hearing. One may not like music right off the bat with a CI because it will sound different/weird, but as time goes on and the brain gets used to the CI and makes sense of it, things sound better/normal. It also will depend on the map/program adjustments, tweaks here and there to fine-tune your hearing. A CI is a very individual thing, it's not one-size-fits all. One person may not be happy with music with MedEl, but another MedEl user is more than thrilled with the music; same goes with Cochlear and AB.

Have you looked at this website: Cochlear Implant Help.
 
I have the same question. The 3 brands they use here are Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Corporation, and the MED-EL. The Audiologist contacted me by email today saying she would like to review the equipment I will be getting? I think she brought it up in the first assessment appointment I had with her, but there was so much to follow that day I don't recall what was recommended? Will find out in the next few days I hope.? .After going through all this to get the implants, no one wants a less than the best product implanted in their head? Going to do some research of my own on this one?
 
stephaniep said:
I have the same question. The 3 brands they use here are Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Corporation, and the MED-EL. The Audiologist contacted me by email today saying she would like to review the equipment I will be getting? I think she brought it up in the first assessment appointment I had with her, but there was so much to follow that day I don't recall what was recommended? Will find out in the next few days I hope.? .After going through all this to get the implants, no one wants a less than the best product implanted in their head? Going to do some research of my own on this one?
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Yes, do your research. See what each brand has to offer then "talk" with users of each brand and ask for pros and cons. Remember, the internal part (the implant itself) is the most important part as you will have it for many, many years. The external parts (processors & accessories) have different bells & whistles and change over the years - mostly for the better.
 
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