Cochlear Implant Surgery & Bone Anchored Hearing Aids in Colorado Springs
From severe to profound hearing loss, Hearing Consultants of Colorado Springs is here to help you experience an improved perception of sound with expert fittings of Baha® or cochlear implants. As members of the Cochlear Provider Network, we work with local surgeons in Colorado Springs, CO, to assess and treat patients with the use of cochlear implants and Baha®.
Understanding Implantable Hearing Solutions
Cochlear implants and Baha® are implantable hearing solutions. These hearing devices have two components: a surgically placed internal implant and an external processor. The external portion of the device captures and delivers sound to the internal implant, stimulating the hearing nerves in the brain while bypassing inner ear damage that would otherwise combat sound.
What Is a Cochlear Ear Implant?
Cochlear implants are innovative, implantable hearing solutions used for individuals with severe sensorineural hearing loss. Cochlear implants bypass the damaged hair cells located in the inner ear to stimulate the auditory nerve. As a result, cochlear implant recipients can begin to perceive speech and environmental sounds more effectively.
Bone Conduction Implants
Bone conduction implants are an alternative for traditional hearing aids. Cochlear Baha® Systems avoid damaged outer portions of the ear, delivering sound sensations to the inner ear for clearer, more precise hearing. These small titanium implants are inserted into the bone behind the ear with an attached sound processor that transports sound to the auditory nerve.
Hybrid Hearing Solutions
Many people experience inconsistent hearing loss, meaning they may hear deep voices but face challenges when it comes to high voices. For these patients, we may recommend a hybrid hearing solution. This combines the amplification of conventional hearing aids with direct auditory nerve stimulation achieved by cochlear implants to boost speech and sound perception.
Are Implants a Good Option for Children?
Cochlear implants are an excellent hearing solution for children. Studies show that pursuing cochlear implant surgery at a young age contributes to the positive progression of a child’s development. Approximately 80% of children with cochlear implants attend regular schools. Furthermore, these children have been found to perform at par with their peers.
Who Is a Candidate for a Cochlear Implant?
Cochlear implant surgery can be used for children and adults. These hearing devices are suitable for those with severe hearing loss that cannot be managed with conventional hearing aids. To be a candidate for this procedure, a patient must first undergo a complete evaluation with an audiologist and an ear surgeon.
What Are the Benefits of Cochlear Implants?
Cochlear implants take time to get used to. However, they open up a world of benefits, including:
- Improved perception of a range of sounds from soft to loud.
- Improved speech understanding.
- Ability to talk on the phone.
- Less reliance on captioning while watching television.
- Ability to enjoy many types of music.
How Do Cochlear Implants Work?
In contrast to hearing aids that amplify sound to allow the damaged components of the ear to detect it better, cochlear implants bypass these areas and deliver direct stimulation to the auditory nerve. Cochlear implants help those with decreased hearing through a state-of-the-art process that teaches them a new way to experience sound.
What Does a Cochlear Implant Sound Like?
Cochlear implants reprogram the brain and hearing nerves to learn a new way of hearing. As such, the sound from these devices changes over time. Upon receiving cochlear implants, it’s normal for sounds to seem robotic or distorted. As the patient’s brain and nerves adjust, their auditory perception improves and becomes more natural.
How Soon Can You Hear With a Cochlear Implant?
A few weeks after cochlear implant surgery, patients return to the audiologist to have the implant activated. This allows it to begin receiving and delivering sound. However, it can take several months for the brain and hearing nerve to adjust and interpret electrical impulses to adequately perceive sound.
What Sounds Can Be Heard With a Cochlear Implant?
Cochlear ear implants improve auditory perception for a wide spectrum of environmental sounds. However, they are specifically designed to achieve greater speech perception for patients with severe hearing loss.
Are Cochlear Ear Implants Effective?
Cochlear implants are effective. However, speech recognition performance, based on speech perception testing, differs from patient to patient. Most patients report improved speech recognition and understanding compared to their experience with hearing aids following a couple of months of practice and hearing rehabilitation.
Can Someone Be Too Old for a Cochlear Implant?
There are no age restrictions for cochlear implants. In fact, elderly patients have been proven to experience equal success rates when compared with younger patients. However, medical conditions, including comorbidities or cognitive impairment, can disqualify an older individual from being a cochlear implant candidate.
Are Cochlear Implants Safe?
Cochlear implants are FDA-approved. Audiologists and ear surgeons have used these implantable hearing devices for patients with severe hearing loss since the 1970s. They have been proven not only to be effective but also safe for children and adults.
How Long Does a Cochlear Implant Last?
The implanted portion of cochlear implants can last a lifetime. The processor portion worn on the external portion of the ear may be subject to wear over time. Fortunately, this part can be upgraded without additional surgery. Furthermore, we seldom see hardware or software malfunctions that call for cochlear implant removal or replacement.
Discuss Cochlear Hearing Solutions With Our Audiology Doctors
If you’re ready to embrace a world of sound, look to Hearing Consultants of Colorado Springs. We are here to help you experience a transformative change in your speech and sound perception with time-honored cochlear implants in Colorado Springs, CO. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Hearing Consultants of Colorado Springs
Address
6375 Lehman Drive, Suite 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone: 719-633-1494
Email: info@myhearingconsultants.com
Fax: 719-633-8129
Hours of Operation
Monday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM