Dr. Sohini is a trained Cochlear Implant Surgeon. She has completed a Government approved Fellowship in Cochlear Implant Surgery from University of Gujarat, under the mentorship of Dr. Neeraj Suri. During the Fellowship, she independently performed 35 cochlear implant surgeries and got extensive training in  different intricacies and complications. She also got exposure in preoperative evaluation and postoperative rehabilitation, whose importance cannot be undermined for end-to-end treatment of the patient.

Performing my very first independent cochlear implant surgery

Receiving the Fellowship Certificate from the University of Gujarat on completion of the course

What is a Cochlear Implant?

A cochlear implant is an electronic device which bypasses the damaged areas of the cochlea i.e. the hair cells and restores hearing to near normal for speech understanding, perception of music and other environmental sounds, thus helping a deaf and mute person to join the mainstream society.

How are Cochlear Implants different from Hearing Aids?

Hearing aids only amplify the environmental sounds. It cannot bypass the damaged inner ear. Cochlear Implants substitute the damaged cochlear hair cells. So even totally deaf patients, who do not benefit from hearing aids, can get back near normal hearing with Cochlear Implants.

Who can benefit from a Cochlear Implant?

Both children and adults can benefit from cochlear implants.

Children who are born deaf on both ears, due to various risk factors, having severe to profound hearing loss, who don’t benefit from hearing aids are candidates for cochlear implants.

Older children or adults, who could hear well previously, but completely loose hearing in both ears, either suddenly or gradually, benefit very well from cochlear implants as they have already developed speech and language earlier.

When is the best time to do Cochlear Implant Surgery for my child?

Our motto is to diagnose early and intervene early. Cochlear Implant surgery can safely be performed from 6m age onwards. Once the child becomes older, from 5y onwards, the outcomes are not up to the mark. This is because the part of the brain responsible for hearing loses its function due to lack of usage over time. So as soon as hearing loss is detected in a child, it is of utmost importance to start using hearing aids until the decision of surgery is finalized. Hearing aids send sound stimuli to the brain to keep it functioning.

In India, there are various factors which delay the decision for surgery. Firstly, the acceptance by the family. Second, apprehensions regarding safety of CI surgery, due to which they wait for the child to grow up. Financial constraints. So after a certain age, even if we implant a child, they can hear but they do not understand the meaning of environmental sounds. So speech and language development does not occur appropriately.

How safe is Cochlear Implant Surgery?

A very high success rate is possible with normal speech development and absolutely normal life in Cochlear Implant recipients. The implant is absolutely safe and does not react with the body.

Some important factors should be kept in mind.

• Best results are obtained when the patient is implanted early

• Structure of the inner ear needs to be normal

• Whether the child was using hearing aids or not before the device was implanted

• Whether the child has normal IQ

• Motivation of the family to do AVT and rehabilitation

• Bilateral simultaneous implantation has shown good results

• Cochlear Implant Surgeon's technique and experience

Can an implantee speak immediately after surgery?

After surgery, we wait for 2-3 weeks for the wound to heal. Then the outer part of the implant is fitted behind the ear, which connects to the inner part by the help of a magnet. Now when the device is switched on, the patient will be able to hear immediately.

For a child who is born deaf, these sounds only have no meaning. Here comes the importance of post operative auditory verbal therapy or speech therapy, where the child is made to understand the meaning of these sounds and slowly, he or she learns to speak.

Whereas, in older children or adults who have previously developed speech and language abilities, once the device is switched on, they are able to hear and understand the sounds. With minimal speech therapy, they can speak very well.

What are the costs involved in Cochlear Implant surgery?

The device is imported from either Australia, Austria or USA. The basic device costs around 6 lakhs, and can go up to 15 lakhs for higher end models. Over and above this, surgical charges and cost of medicines will add to it. There are various central government, state government and NGO schemes as well to aid financially weaker sections.

Although it is an expensive affair, one must realise that it is a life changing surgery for both children and adults - where a person who would otherwise be deaf and (or) mute, is blessed with the gift of hearing and can join the mainstream society.