Q & A

If you have a question or concern, send us an email. A doctor from one of our centers will answer your question in confidence. We may post the Q & A on the blog if space permits to help others who may have the same question, but will not use your name.

My child has a hearing problem in both ears

Question:

I live in India. My child is three and half year old and is having a hearing problem in both ears.
His Bera Report Says.
Right Ear -: Profound Hearing Loss
Left Ear -: Moderate Hearing Loss.
So we want to know the details for Cochlear implant in your hospital. Please let us know the procedure and costing to visit your country for this medical need.

Answer:

Thank you for your question. As you may have heard, cochlear implantation in deaf children can have a highly successful outcome, but only when careful patient selection and after care takes place. The first steps will be to accurately diagnose the hearing loss to determine if implantation is right for your child. When hearing aids are helpful, an implant is usually not recommended. Cochlear implants can help anyone with profound hearing loss from newborns to octogenarians.

While generally covered by insurance for people from the United States your total cost of care is estimated at 50 -60,000 dollars depending on the length of the after care and audiology programming. Continuity of the care close to home will be a very important factor.

I hope this clears things up.

Neil Sperling, MD

New York Otolaryngology Group

36A East 36th Street

New York, New York

Associate Professor, Dept of Otolaryngology

SUNY Downstate

Brooklyn, New York

Q & A

Will a cochlear implant destroy my mother’s remaining hearing?

Question: My mother was approved through her insurance for cochlear implants, but she decided against it because she didn’t want to destroy what hearing she has, which isn’t much. Could she be a candidate for something else that would not completely destroy her hearing? Are there any cochlear implantation alternatives available? She is hoping for maybe something else like stem cell advances. Is there any hope for her? My mother is 76 years old.

Answer:

Your mother’s question is quite common. It is a bit misunderstood that hearing is “destroyed” from cochlear implants or cochlear implantation. We always aim to preserve residual hearing during surgery, but it really is of little benefit. While it is true that standard hearing aids will not benefit her after implantation, the implant will give her far more benefit than her hearing aids do. When it comes to cochlear implants, often adults benefit immediately and continue to improve for roughly three months after their initial tuning session. Most people with implants can perceive soft, medium, and loud sounds. Allowing them to hear common everyday sounds, such as the sound of a light switch, a door slamming shut, footsteps, and the rustling of leaves. Many people with cochlear implants can regain the ability to make telephone calls, listen to music, understand speech, as well as the ability to watch and hear the television.

However, it is important to realize that improvements can be gradual. A user’s performance can continue to improve for several years after implantation. Nonetheless, when it comes to cochlear implants, the benefits far outweigh the risks in regards to a patient who may lose any remaining hearing in the implanted ear. In other words, nobody ever complains about this after the implant. Any worries quickly vanish once the implant is activated.

Thank you for your question

Neil Sperling MD

New York Otolaryngology Group

Q & A

Surgery for hearing loss

Question:

I’ve been wearing hearing aids for about 5 years n I still have trouble hearing people clearly, I’m 30 years old and was told as I get older my hearing would get worse. I would like to know am I eligible to have surgery to restore hearing?

Answer:

Thanks for your question. Today, luckily, there are many options for those of us with hearing losses. However, I cannot answer your individual question without knowing what kind of hearing loss you have.

Sensori-neural hearing losses involve damage to the nerves that control our hearing. This can be anywhere from the cochlea in the inner ear- into the brain where the impulses are decoded for us. Hearing losses of this kind are quite common- Most often, this type of loss is treated with the use of hearing aids. Newer digital aids offer exceptional improvements from older ones in terms of clarity. They should be matched to the needs of the individual by a hearing professional- for optimum results.

For those with severe or profound losses, today we are using cochlear implants. These transmit nerve impulses directly to the cochlea to improve hearing in those whose hearing losses can’t be well treated with hearing aids.

Conductive hearing losses are those involving the mechanical transference of sound waves to the inner ear. This can be caused by anything from wax, to holes in the ear drum, to problems with the hearing bones in the middle ear to fluid in the middle ear. These losses usually can be fixed- by removing the wax, repairing the hole in the ear drum, draining the fluid or by surgery to repair the hearing bones in the middle ear (stapedectomy).

Our website www.nyogmd.com has a section that explains how the ear works and hearing disorders in greater depth. Dr. Neil Sperling is the Director of Ear Care at NYOG.

Robert L Pincus MD

surgery for hearing loss Archives - The New York Otolaryngology Group

My child has a hearing problem in both ears

Will a cochlear implant destroy my mother’s remaining hearing?

Surgery for hearing loss