When a crucial part of your inner ear isn’t working properly, a cochlear implant can be used to treat moderate to profound sensorineural or high frequency hearing loss.
How Cochlear Implants Work
A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged parts of the inner ear, sending sound impulses to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound.
- The external sound processor is worn behind the ear. It captures sound, then filters and processes the sounds, turning it into digital code.
- The sound processor transmits the digitally coded sound through the coil on the outside of the head to the implant.
- The internal implant converts the digitally-coded sound into electrical impulses and sends them along the electrode that sits gently in the cochlea (the inner ear).
- The implant’s electrodes stimulate the cochlea’s hearing nerve, bypassing the damaged cells that cause hearing loss, sending impulses to the brain where they are interpreted as sound.
Cochlear implants are available for one or both ears. There are also hybrid solutions available that combine hearing aids with a cochlear implant for maximum effectiveness.
Is a Cochlear Implant Right for You?
Cochlear implants can be effective in situations where hearing aids will not work or have diminished in their effectiveness as hearing loss has progressed. The best way to find out if a cochlear implant is right for you is to get an evaluation. The ENT Center is the only practice in the Lancaster area that offers evaluation, testing and programming for cochlear implants.
Contact us now to schedule your evaluation.
If you meet the requirements for a cochlear implant at the evaluation and choose to move forward with the surgery, you will then see Dr. Jon Isaacson, our partnering otologist at Associated Otolaryngologists of Pennsylvania. THE ENT CENTER has teamed with Dr. Isaacson at AOP who has extensive experience with cochlear implant surgery. You will see him for the medical evaluation and the surgery. After surgery you will return to THE ENT CENTER for all your follow-up care and programming. This allows you to continue your hearing healthcare close to home.
Learn More About Cochlear Implant Technology
Cochlear, the medical vendor that manufactures the devices that physicians from The ENT Center implant for patients here in Greater Lancaster, has a website with in-depth information on cochlear implant technology, how it works, and the benefits to patients with hearing loss.
