Cochlear Implant

If you’re interested in getting a cochlear implant, the first step is to see if you’re a candidate.  

We’ll start by reviewing your most recent hearing test results. If necessary, you can undergo a new hearing test with a UI Health Care audiologist. 

If your results confirm you’re a candidate for a cochlear implant, we’ll verify whether your health insurance plan will cover your surgery. If so, we will schedule you for an in-person evaluation.  

During this evaluation, which will take a couple of hours, you’ll take part in the following:  

• A thorough review of your hearing history 
• A hearing aid evaluation (if you have hearing aids, we’ll make sure they work properly) 
• Speech testing, which measures your ability to hear and understand speech while wearing your hearing aids 
• A discussion about cochlear implant usage. We’ll teach you how the device works and explain what types of rehabilitation you’ll need after surgery. We also want to make sure you have realistic expectations about your hearing improvement after receiving a cochlear implant. 
• A consultation with one of our surgeons, who will examine your ears and help you understand the surgery process 

In most cases, you’ll find out whether you’re a candidate for cochlear implant surgery at the end of your evaluation. 

If you are a candidate, you’ll come back in one or two weeks for a CT scan and/or MRI scan of your inner ear. These imaging tests show us the quality of your cochlea and cochlear nerve. 

Finally, we’ll schedule your surgery. This will most likely take place within six weeks of your imaging tests. 

Cochlear implant surgery is usually an outpatient procedure. This means you or your child will probably return home the same day.  

The procedure usually involves the following steps: 

• First, you’ll receive general anesthesia (so you’re asleep during the procedure).  
• Next, your surgeon will make a small incision behind your ear and open the mastoid bone (part of your skull). They’ll create a “bed” for the internal device to sit in, so you don’t have a visible lump once it’s implanted. 
• Your surgeon will then open your cochlea (a snail-shaped bone inside your inner ear that’s attached to your cochlear nerve). 
• They will gently guide the electrodes from the implanted receiver into your cochlea.  
• Finally, they will close your incision with a few small stitches. 

Between two and four weeks after your surgery, you will have your first follow-up appointment.  

During this visit, you’ll have another imaging test. This lets us confirm that the electrodes are in the right place inside your cochlea. 

You’ll also receive the wearable, external part of your device. We’ll  turn it on and program some initial volume settings.  

We’ll continue to adjust these settings—also known as your “dynamic range”—as your brain acclimates to the new sound over several visits. You’ll have another visit two weeks after your device activation and additional visits after three months, six months, and one year from your activation. More appointments can be scheduled if needed.  

We’ll also perform speech perception and other hearing tests three months and six months after your device is activated—and then once every year. By keeping track of your results, we can make sure you’re continuing to benefit from your cochlear implant.