What is a Cochlear Implant?
A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that provides a sense of sound to children and adults who have severe to profound hearing loss and who cannot hear and/or understand speech with hearing aids. Hearing aids make sound louder. Cochlear implants do not amplify sound, but rather bypass the outer, middle, and inner ear and directly stimulate auditory nerve fibers that lead to the brain.
The cochlear implant system consists of two parts:

* an internal device which is surgically implanted into the inner ear and,
* an external component consisting of a head set and speech
processor which is programmed to supply sound to a user.

A cochlear implant in place

How Does the Implant Work?

When a person has a hearing loss (from birth or damage acquired later) that causes damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear it is called a sensorineural hearing loss and sometimes referred to as nerve deafness. This is because sound cannot stimulate the nerve normally. A cochlear implant bypasses the damage and directly stimulates the nerve to send information to the brain. For additional information regarding how implants work please visit Dr. Philip Loizou's website.

Picture Credit: Medical illustrations by NIH, Medical Arts & Photography Branch