Cochlear Implant candidacy is a procedure which
involves many factors and many individuals, any
Individual who is considered at first as a
Cochlear Implant Candidate needs to undergo the
following procedure:
The Need of CI – Cochlear Implant is
usually suggested for children and adults who either
have Severe to Profound Hearing loss or have an
Unaidable Moderate to Severe sloping Sensory hearing
loss. The key word here being
Unaidable,
wherein the person must be inadequately aided with
the conventional hearing aids.
Audiological Evaluation –
Audiological Evaluation is carried out to rule out
any factors which may contraindicate Cochlear
Implantation or may bolster the need of Cochlear
Implantation.
Medical Evaluation – Medical
Evaluation is the next step wherein an ENT surgeon
evaluates the candidate and needs to get Imaging
tests such as MRI scan/CT scan to best establish the
surgical candidacy of the patient.
Pre-CI counselling – After
establishing the candidacy for Cochlear Implantation,
the Audiologists have the responsibility to counsel
the patient and/or the caregivers of the patient
everything there is to know regarding the Cochlear
Implantation. An extensive Pre-CI session aims at
educating the patient and the caregivers regarding
the following:
The Receiving Antenna picks up the electromagnetic
signals from the external transmitting coil and
transfers it to the receiver which make sense of the
electrical signal received and thereafter stimulate the
electrode array accordingly. The electrode array
stimulates different areas of the Auditory nerve for
different types of sounds. The function of the internal
magnet is to create a magnetic coupling between the
internal and the external components.
Implantation Surgery – Cochlear Implant
surgery is procedure of implanting the Internal part of
the Cochlear Implant into the skull and the electrodes
into the Cochlea, for a more details click here
Switch On – The Cochlear Implant is not
usable the day of surgery, the body needs time to heal
the wounds and accept the Implant and not treat it as a
foreign body. This usually takes around 21 days. After
this, the external part of the Cochlear Implant is
connected and switched on for the first time and mapping
is carried out to best suit the day 1 hearing levels,
which usually can’t be too loud as it may cause
discomfort.
Mapping and Therapy – Cochlear Implant
Rehabilitation requires extensive mapping and therapy
sessions to really provide the best results.
The Internal components of the Cochlear Implant
include the following:
Mapping – Mapping is the programming
of a Cochlear Implant, wherein the sound processor is
programmed digitally to provide a certain amount of
gain to certain frequencies depending on the need and
comfort of the client.
Therapy – Therapy refers to the
extensive Auditory training and Speech and Language
therapy that needs to be carried out post
implantation to yield the best results. As any
individual needs time and practice with cochlear
implant and the sounds it generates. Therapy may be
required for years in the case of young children.
Whereas, adults may not require Auditory Training for
years.