What is a cochlear implant? Cochlear implants are a new type of therapy to restore hearing function to patients with total deafness. The cochlear implant, however, is an electronic device that can be implanted in the human body. In conjunction with a speech processor carried outside the body, it can restore hearing and improve verbal communication in patients with total deafness, making it the most promising treatment for patients with total deafness. Otolaryngology Director Ben Pang worked for three years at the world’s most prestigious House Ear Institute, a pioneer in cochlear implantation, to learn and master the technology of cochlear implantation. Which patients are suitable for cochlear implantation? There are two types of deafness: pre-speech deafness and post-speech deafness. Pre-speech deafness is deafness that occurs before speech, and these children do not speak (deafness). In addition to hearing restoration, language learning is also required. The best age for implantation is from 2 to 8 years old, so this is the best time to learn language, and language learning is more difficult beyond the age of eight. Patients with postlingual deafness do not require language training and are suitable for implantation up to the age of 70. In addition to age, patients should be profoundly or totally deaf in both ears, i.e., unable to improve language comprehension with hearing aids. No external ear or middle ear disease or serious systemic disease. The patient should have a correct understanding of the effectiveness of the surgery and be able to maintain long-term speech and hearing training. Generally speaking, the shorter the time of hearing loss, the better the results after surgery. Children with congenital deafness will have more difficulty in post-operative hearing rehabilitation training as they grow older. How does the cochlear implant procedure work? Patients who decide to have a cochlear implant undergo a preoperative hearing test, hearing aid fitting and speech test, as well as an ear CT examination and a general examination. The procedure can only be performed after passing all tests. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. An incision is made at the back of the auricle and a shallow circular groove is ground into the bone surface to place the receiving device. The electrode is implanted through the mastoid cavity through the round window of the cochlea. The cochlear implant is located entirely under the skin and can be covered by hair. The cochlear implant can be active for 2D3 days after surgery, and the wound takes 3 to 5 weeks to heal. What are the post-operative results of cochlear implantation? Post-operative results depend on the type of cochlear implant, the patient’s condition and post-operative rehabilitation. Currently, most cochlear implants use a multi-conductor device with 8 to 22 electrodes, which can distinguish multiple tones and help with speech recognition. After a period of post-operative language training, most patients can communicate with normal people, and their ability to converse can be further enhanced with the help of lip-reading (reading lips). Test results show that about 70% of implant recipients can understand everyday conversation using only the cochlear implant (without relying on lip reading), and about 1/3 of patients can use the telephone.