AllDeaf.com - View Single Post - Stem cell available in Kansas City
My post in the above thread addressed alot of good points regarding HAs, CI and stem cells. I wish to address additional points in a new thread and discuss them among you guys. Let's please have a civil, open mind discussion stating your agreement or disagreement. Make your own points stating why. I may agree or disagree with your points with my counterpoints.
Those who are anti stem cells, please refrain from insults and going off topic. I will not get into an argument with you, start your own thread(or find a CI thread) if you wish to bash stem cells. Feel free to agree or disagree with my answers, but be civil about it.
GrendelQ talked to a CI surgeon and asked the following questions:
We had the following questions in deciding whether our then 2.5YO Li-Li should get a second implant last year or wait:
1. Surgery: would better, less invasive, Lasik-like methods be developed in the near future, eg, work currently being done on developing new methods at Vanderbilt? > CI Surgeon's answer: yes, but still requiring anesthesia and deep surgery, not significantly different from current methods.
2. technology: would the big CI players be coming out with any new technology that we'd want to wait for > Cochlear Americas: working on something, but ETA and scope of changes unknown, possibly just external upgrade (hmmm, yes, but now I get to see the wonderful SMALLER Nucleus 5 that we missed by a year - push them for an update!); CI surgeon said that CI co's will always be focused on retrofitting new tech to previous models: recipients are their proof points and if we fail, they fail.
3. hair cell regen: would getting surgery now preclude or limit later hair cell regen therapies? > CI Surgeon & hair cell regen researcher answered: no!
4. hair cell regen: when will hair cell regen. be available and what are expected results? > last year, CI Surgeon & hair cell regen researcher answered: very hard to say, some ballpark figures that they wouldn't want to be held to: They expected nothing available for children in the US for at least another 5 years (that was in Summer '08). Results during first 5-10 years after that point (from 2013 - 2023), they expected we'd approximate results from early to current CIs, improving over time, but wouldn't see catch up to contemporary CIs until the 10-15 year point.
5. Is the incremental improvement expected worth the downsides (surgery, potential to damage hair cells that might be accessed later) > What is likelihood that Li-Li will be in crowded, nosy, chaotic environments? HIGH
My answers:
1. I have been in contact with a few stem cell centers, including the one that treated Chloe. No surgery or lasers. Just an IV to arm. They can make a small incision and implant the cells directly in your cochlea but don't recommend this 2nd option.
2. Any future CI technology does not interest me as I am getting stem cells soon. We have seen Chloe become hearing without HAs!
3. The stem cell centers ive been in contact can't and won't consider anyone with CI a candidate for stem cells. Ive also learned that those with a CI may require regrowing a new cochlea(a 20+ year wait) Animal studies have shown that damage to the cochlea similar to what CI does causes stem cells to be unable to give any real improvement.
4. The USA is years behind due to Bush and his anti-stem cell crowd. Other countries are offering stem cells today and dozens of people are getting it for hearing loss. I would only need to get to about 80db HL after stem cells to match today's CI. I should be able to hear at the 10-20db level with my HAs offering maximum amplification of about/around 70db in the speech frequencies.(80db HL with 70db gain=10db aided with HAs) Todays stem cells offer an average improvement of 20db per treatment and Nepsis can give me a treatment once a month. We have seen Chloe's amazing results. I have seen other results that were still as good or better than today's CI.
5. The downside to CI is why I am choosing stem cells over CI. If stem cells don't work, the only thing I have to lose is several thousand dollars.
I have made my points in the answers and in other threads. I disagree with this CI surgeon on his points and explained why. I understand he is entitled to his own opinion and beliefs. He is very pro CI, but then that's his job. That would be his choice if he's ever interested in offering stem cells to help people hear. Feel free to agree/disagree and state your own points. We can all learn alot this way. Just keep your replies civil and be open minded.
My post in the above thread addressed alot of good points regarding HAs, CI and stem cells. I wish to address additional points in a new thread and discuss them among you guys. Let's please have a civil, open mind discussion stating your agreement or disagreement. Make your own points stating why. I may agree or disagree with your points with my counterpoints.
Those who are anti stem cells, please refrain from insults and going off topic. I will not get into an argument with you, start your own thread(or find a CI thread) if you wish to bash stem cells. Feel free to agree or disagree with my answers, but be civil about it.
GrendelQ talked to a CI surgeon and asked the following questions:
We had the following questions in deciding whether our then 2.5YO Li-Li should get a second implant last year or wait:
1. Surgery: would better, less invasive, Lasik-like methods be developed in the near future, eg, work currently being done on developing new methods at Vanderbilt? > CI Surgeon's answer: yes, but still requiring anesthesia and deep surgery, not significantly different from current methods.
2. technology: would the big CI players be coming out with any new technology that we'd want to wait for > Cochlear Americas: working on something, but ETA and scope of changes unknown, possibly just external upgrade (hmmm, yes, but now I get to see the wonderful SMALLER Nucleus 5 that we missed by a year - push them for an update!); CI surgeon said that CI co's will always be focused on retrofitting new tech to previous models: recipients are their proof points and if we fail, they fail.
3. hair cell regen: would getting surgery now preclude or limit later hair cell regen therapies? > CI Surgeon & hair cell regen researcher answered: no!
4. hair cell regen: when will hair cell regen. be available and what are expected results? > last year, CI Surgeon & hair cell regen researcher answered: very hard to say, some ballpark figures that they wouldn't want to be held to: They expected nothing available for children in the US for at least another 5 years (that was in Summer '08). Results during first 5-10 years after that point (from 2013 - 2023), they expected we'd approximate results from early to current CIs, improving over time, but wouldn't see catch up to contemporary CIs until the 10-15 year point.
5. Is the incremental improvement expected worth the downsides (surgery, potential to damage hair cells that might be accessed later) > What is likelihood that Li-Li will be in crowded, nosy, chaotic environments? HIGH
My answers:
1. I have been in contact with a few stem cell centers, including the one that treated Chloe. No surgery or lasers. Just an IV to arm. They can make a small incision and implant the cells directly in your cochlea but don't recommend this 2nd option.
2. Any future CI technology does not interest me as I am getting stem cells soon. We have seen Chloe become hearing without HAs!
3. The stem cell centers ive been in contact can't and won't consider anyone with CI a candidate for stem cells. Ive also learned that those with a CI may require regrowing a new cochlea(a 20+ year wait) Animal studies have shown that damage to the cochlea similar to what CI does causes stem cells to be unable to give any real improvement.
4. The USA is years behind due to Bush and his anti-stem cell crowd. Other countries are offering stem cells today and dozens of people are getting it for hearing loss. I would only need to get to about 80db HL after stem cells to match today's CI. I should be able to hear at the 10-20db level with my HAs offering maximum amplification of about/around 70db in the speech frequencies.(80db HL with 70db gain=10db aided with HAs) Todays stem cells offer an average improvement of 20db per treatment and Nepsis can give me a treatment once a month. We have seen Chloe's amazing results. I have seen other results that were still as good or better than today's CI.
5. The downside to CI is why I am choosing stem cells over CI. If stem cells don't work, the only thing I have to lose is several thousand dollars.
I have made my points in the answers and in other threads. I disagree with this CI surgeon on his points and explained why. I understand he is entitled to his own opinion and beliefs. He is very pro CI, but then that's his job. That would be his choice if he's ever interested in offering stem cells to help people hear. Feel free to agree/disagree and state your own points. We can all learn alot this way. Just keep your replies civil and be open minded.
. First you pull in my daughter's audiogram from our family blog and then you pull one of my comments from Melissa's blog [ 
