Brant Audiology & Tinnitus is proud to be the only Cochlear Implant audiologists in the state of Wyoming. Our specialized team can guide you through every step of the process, from candidacy assessments to personalized consultations, ensuring you receive expert care right here in Wyoming. If you’re considering cochlear implants, trust our experienced audiologists to provide the support and expertise you need.

A cochlear implant is a special electronic device that helps people who can’t hear well. It’s different from hearing aids because it doesn’t just make sounds louder. Instead, it helps send sounds straight to the brain.

The implant has two parts: one that you wear outside your ear and one that goes inside your head. The outside part picks up sounds and sends them to the inside part. The inside part changes the sounds into signals and sends them to the brain. This helps the person hear.

Cochlear implants can make a big difference. They help people with severe hearing loss communicate better and enjoy life more.

Man in blue shirt sitting in front of an elderly

How does a cochlear implant work?

A cochlear implant helps people with severe hearing loss hear by working around damaged parts of the ear. Here’s how it works:

  1. Microphone: The implant system starts with a tiny microphone outside the ear. This microphone picks up sounds from around you.
  2. Speech Processor: The microphone sends these sounds to a speech processor. The speech processor changes the sounds into digital signals, kind of like turning music into a computer file.
  3. Internal Receiver: These digital signals are then sent to a part of the implant called the internal receiver, which is placed under the skin behind the ear during surgery.
  4. Electrode Array: The internal receiver sends the signals to an electrode array. This array is a group of tiny electrodes inserted into the cochlea, the part of the ear that looks like a snail shell.
  5. Stimulating the Nerve: The electrodes in the cochlea send electrical signals to the auditory nerve, which is the nerve that carries sound signals to the brain. The implant bypasses the damaged hair cells in the cochlea and directly stimulates the auditory nerve.
  6. Hearing: These electrical signals travel to the brain, and the brain interprets them as sound.

Although cochlear implants don’t make hearing perfect, they help many people understand speech and sounds better than hearing aids alone. This can make talking with others and enjoying everyday sounds much easier.

Parts of a cochlear implant

A cochlear implant has several important parts that work together to help people with severe hearing loss hear again.

  1. External Microphone and Sound Processor: These parts pick up sounds from around you. The microphone listens to the sounds, and the sound processor changes them into signals.
  2. Speech Processor: This part takes the signals from the sound processor and turns them into digital information. It then sends this information to the internal part of the implant.
  3. Internal Receiver-Stimulator: This is a tiny device placed under the skin behind your ear during surgery. It gets the digital information from the speech processor and changes it into electrical impulses. It then sends these impulses to the electrodes in the cochlea.
  4. Electrode Array: This part goes into the cochlea, a small part inside your ear. It sends electrical impulses directly to the auditory nerve fibers, which carry the signals to your brain. The brain then understands these signals as sound.

All these parts work together to help people with severe hearing loss hear sounds and talk with others better.

Who gets cochlear implants?

Cochlear implants are small devices that help people who have a lot of trouble hearing, even with hearing aids. They are usually recommended for people who:

  1. Have very bad hearing: If someone can barely hear or can’t hear at all, even with strong hearing aids, they might need a cochlear implant.
  2. Have trouble hearing in both ears: Cochlear implants can help people who have a hard time hearing in both ears. This helps them understand what people are saying and talk better in different places.
  3. Hear, but don’t understand with hearing aids: Some people find that hearing aids don’t make understanding speech better. These people might need a cochlear implant instead.
  4. Lose more hearing over time: If someone’s hearing keeps getting worse, even with hearing aids, a cochlear implant can give them more stable and consistent hearing.
  5. Have other medical problems that cause hearing loss: Some illnesses or genetic conditions can cause very bad hearing loss. In these cases, cochlear implants can be a good option.

Deciding to get a cochlear implant involves a lot of tests and talking with doctors who specialize in hearing. They look at how much hearing loss someone has, how well they can understand speech, and their overall health before recommending a cochlear implant.

How does someone receive a cochlear implant?

Receiving a cochlear implant is a big journey with several important steps.

Here’s what happens:

Candidacy Evaluation

People get a thorough check-up by a team of audiologists, ENT specialists, and other health experts. This check-up looks at how bad the hearing loss is, how well they understand speech, their medical history, and overall health. This helps decide if they can get a cochlear implant.

Candidates and their families get a lot of information about cochlear implants. This includes learning about the risks, benefits, and what to expect from the surgery. This information helps them decide if getting a cochlear implant is the right choice for them.

If someone is a good candidate for a cochlear implant, they will have surgery, usually while they are asleep under general anesthesia. During the surgery, the doctor makes a cut behind the ear. Then, the doctor places a special device called an internal receiver-stimulator under the skin. Next, the doctor gently inserts a tiny set of wires, called an electrode array, into the cochlea, which is a part of the inner ear.

Several weeks after surgery, doctors turn on the external parts of the cochlear implant, like the sound processor. After that, people start a lot of training to get used to the new sounds from the implant. This training can include speech therapy, where they practice speaking and listening. It also includes auditory training, which helps them learn to recognize and understand different sounds. They will also have regular check-ups to adjust the implant settings to make sure it works the best it can.

Cochlear implantation is generally a safe surgery with low risk of problems. However, like any surgery, there are some possible risks, such as infection, bleeding, damage to nearby areas, and device issues.

Some people might have changes in taste, dizziness, or weakness in the facial nerves, either temporarily or permanently. Most of these complications are rare and can be treated well.

After the implant is activated, there is an adjustment period. During this time, individuals may need some time to get used to the new sounds they hear with the implant.

What happens during cochlear implant surgery?

During cochlear implant surgery, the patient is usually asleep with general anesthesia. The surgeon makes a cut behind the ear and creates a small hole in the mastoid bone to reach the cochlea. The internal receiver-stimulator is then put under the skin and secured.

Next, a tiny electrode array is gently placed into the cochlea through a small opening in the bone. The array is positioned to send signals to the auditory nerve fibers. Once the implant is securely in place, the incision is closed. The external parts of the implant are not attached until after the surgical site has healed.

The surgery usually takes a few hours. Most patients can go home the same day or the day after.

What happens after cochlear implant surgery?

After cochlear implant surgery, patients usually feel some pain, swelling, and tenderness around the area where the surgery was done. This can be helped with pain medicine. There will often be a bandage over the cut, which needs to stay clean and dry. Patients should avoid heavy activities and lifting heavy things while they heal to avoid problems.

an elderly womanIn the first few weeks after surgery, patients might feel a bit dizzy or have balance problems as their body gets used to the implant. They will have follow-up appointments with their doctors to check how they are healing and to see if the external parts of the cochlear implant need to be turned on.

The time it takes to recover is different for each person, but most people can go back to their normal activities in a few weeks to a month. The full benefits of the cochlear implant, like better hearing, usually happen after it is turned on and the patient goes through hearing practice.

Learning to Interpret Sounds

Adjusting to sounds with a cochlear implant differs from using a hearing aid due to the way each device works. Hearing aids amplify sounds, while cochlear implants bypass damaged parts of the inner ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. 

This means that individuals with cochlear implants often require a period of auditory rehabilitation to learn to interpret the new, electrically generated sounds. It can take time for the brain to adjust to these artificial signals and make sense of them, whereas hearing aid users may adapt more quickly to amplified natural sounds.

Cochlear Implants | Brant Audiology & Tinnitus in Wyoming

Cochlear implants offer a life-changing solution for those with severe to profound hearing loss who may not benefit from traditional hearing aids.

If you or a loved one struggles with hearing loss, contact Brant Audiology & Tinnitus today to schedule a consultation and discover how cochlear implants in Wyoming can improve your quality of life. 

See our audiologists in Casper, WY; Cheyenne, WY; Torrington, WY; and Wheatland, WY.