Cochlear Implant

An implanted device that bypasses the damaged inner ear and stimulates the hearing nerve directly. It is for severe to profound hearing loss where hearing aids no longer help enough.

What the operation involves

Two to three hours under general anaesthetic. The internal device sits under the skin behind the ear with an electrode array in the cochlea; an external processor is worn afterwards.

Switch-on and mapping

The device is not activated at surgery. Switch-on is usually two to four weeks later, and the first sound is often described as mechanical or unnatural. Mapping — tuning the device across several sessions — is what turns that into speech, and it continues for months.

Honest expectations

Results vary widely, and the strongest factors are how long the hearing has been absent and whether language was acquired before it was lost. Rehabilitation with an audiologist is not optional; it is where most of the benefit comes from.

What we arrange around it

We plan the trip around switch-on and initial mapping — around four to five weeks — and establish who will continue your mapping at home before you travel.