The cochlear implant is an electronic device placed surgically inside the ear that captures the sound, with a microphone placed behind the ear and transforms it into electrical impulses directly over the hearing nerve.
Normally, the cochlear implant is used in patients with profound hearing loss who do not have enough cochlea to use a hearing aid.
Because it is a surgery that can cause major changes in the lives of patients, they must be evaluated by psychologists to assess expectations about the implant and not end up developing negative feelings. The price of the cochlear implant depends on the type, the place where the surgery will be performed and the brand of the device, however, the average price is around 40 thousand reais.
When is indicated
The cochlear implant is indicated for people with profound deafness, and can be used as an option in cases where other ways of improving hearing have not worked. This type of device can be used by children or adults.
How the implant works
The cochlear implant consists of 2 main parts:
- The external microphone: which is usually placed behind the ear and receives the sounds produced. This microphone also has a transmitter that transforms sounds into electrical impulses and sends them to the internal part of the implant; The internal receiver: that is placed over the inner ear, in the region of the auditory nerve and that receives the impulses sent by the transmitter that is in the external part.
The electrical impulses sent by the cochlear implant pass through the auditory nerve and are received in the brain, where they are deciphered. At first, the brain has a harder time understanding the signs, but after a while it begins to identify the signs, which ends up being described as a different way of listening.
Usually the microphone and the entire external part of the device is held in place by a magnet that holds them close to the internal part of the implant. However, there are cases where the microphone can also be carried in a shirt pouch, for example.
How implant rehabilitation is done
Since at first the sounds deciphered by the implant can be difficult to understand, it is usually advisable to undergo rehabilitation with a speech therapist, which can last up to 4 years, especially in children who have deafness before 5 years.
Generally, with rehabilitation, the person has an easier time deciphering the sounds and the meaning of the words, and his success depends on the time he was deaf, the age at which the deafness appeared and personal motivation.
