Cochlear Implants: Expanding Access to Hearing Rehabilitation

Si Chen M.D., discusses cochlear implants and expanding access to hearing rehabilitation. She highlights the limitations of hearing aids and when cochlear implants should be considered. She describes cochlear implant evaluation, surgery, post-operative care, and hearing outcomes and she shares recent advances and ongoing research that are improving cochlear implant performance. 

*exam questions for CE credits:
What is the limitation of hearing aids in helping severe to profound hearing loss? Answer: Hearing aids only amplifies sounds and cannot make speech understanding more clear

Who can determine if the patient is a cochlear implant candidate? Answer: A multidisciplinary team consists of otologist (ENT) and audiologist.

Is ongoing research limiting or expanding cochlear implant candidacy? Answer: ongoing research is expanding cochlear implant candidacy, thus making it more available to people with hearing loss.