Many people suffer from hearing loss either due to birth defects or due to a trauma/ serious injury. Well, a cochlear implant surgery could be a promising treatment alternative for you if you are also suffering from hearing loss due to any of the reasons.
Introduction
The surgery involves the placement of a cochlear implant within the ear and is usually performed on an outpatient basis in a healthcare setting. Once the surgery is done, under anesthesia, the patient needs to visit the doctor after a few weeks for the activation and programming of the implant.
About the surgery
An ENT surgeon near me will perform a cochlear implant procedure in a clinic or healthcare setting. The surgeon will administer general anesthesia so the patient does not feel any pain during the surgery which lasts around 2 hours. He or she will make a small cut near the ear to create a mastoid bone opening which helps them guide the electrode towards the cochlea.
Upon placing the implant electrodes within the cochlea, an internal processor will be placed between the bone and muscle that lie behind the ear. An external speech processor worn on the outside will send all the information to the internal processor for ease of hearing. Finally, the surgeon will close the incisions and shift the patient to the room for a few hours to monitor recovery from anesthesia before letting them go home.
The healthcare team will let the patient go home a few hours after the procedure when the effects of anesthesia disappear. After a hearing loss surgery near me, the hearing will be a bit different on the side of the ear that has implants. The patient needs to visit the surgeon after a few weeks once the incisions heal and then he or she will program the device. Until the programming is done, the patient won't be able to hear from the ear that has the implant.
Recovery phase
After the placement of implants, the healthcare team will instruct the patient regarding the care of the target site after getting discharged from the healthcare setting. They will inform the patient regarding the care they need to take for the stitches and how they should change the dressing after the placement of the cochlear implants in Mohali. The team will further ask the patient to start washing the target area at least 48 hours after the surgery to allow the site to heal.
A week after the surgery, the patient will need to visit the surgeon who will inspect the site of the incision and the sutures given. Post-this, the patient is advised to wait for a minimum of 3 weeks to allow proper healing of the target area after which the activation will be done for the implant.
Implant activation and programming
The patient will need to visit the audiologist in Mohali, after the healing of the inner ear, for the activation and programming of the cochlear implant. He or she will let the patient know regarding the external processor’s use and the patient would need to go for programming appointments for 4 weeks to 6 weeks.
Many patients are unable to understand the sound from the implant in their initial appointments for programming. The auditory rehabilitation therapist and the audiologist work in coordination to come up with a plan that helps in training the brain for better sound interpretation.
A patient may need to go for appointments for programming every six months as long as they have the implant. During the follow-up appointments, the healthcare team will be able to evaluate if the brain is processing the sounds and progressing further. If there is a need and the results can be improved, the team will make the necessary adjustments to the implant.
Implant rehabilitation
A patient undergoing cochlear implant procedure must go for a good rehabilitation program that will help improve their ability of detecting and associating with the meaning of the varying sounds. The cochlear implant rehabilitation team comprising audiologist, deadness educators, and speech-language pathologists will work together to help develop the hearing system using the implant.
The rehabilitation program may vary according to the hearing experience of the patient before undergoing cochlear implant procedure at the best hospital in Chandigarh. A patient may require intensive personalized rehabilitation if he or she has never heard. A program focusing on maximizing the potential of the hearing device may be required for patients who are beginning to hear again.
Sohana Hospital has the most experienced team of audiologists, ENT surgeons and support staff who plan your cochlear implant surgery according to your preferences and expectations. Our healthcare professionals hold immense expertise in their work and ensure to provide you with promising results with significant changes during rehabilitation program.