Cochlear Implant

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Recovery after surgery

After surgery, most patients are admitted to the hospital overnight for observation. Patients are given pain medicines and sometimes antibiotics to help with healing after surgery. Many surgeons will place a large dressing over the operated ear, which will be changed the day after surgery.

Several weeks after surgery, the external portion of the cochlear implant is magnetically secured to the receiver-stimulator that was implanted behind the ear. It is only at this point that the device will begin to be usable.

Once the incision site is well healed, and the implant is secured to the external processor and antenna, patients will begin to work with a combination of audiologists, speech therapists, otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors), and possibly other specialists in order to learn to "hear" and process sound using the cochlear implant. This is an extremely important part of the process, as it requires a coordinated effort between patient and the team of specialists in order to achieve maximum benefit from the implant.

Results in patients using cochlear implants vary greatly, and may be due partly to the condition of the nerve for hearing prior to surgery, the mental abilities of the patient, the device being used, the length of time that the patient was deaf, and the surgery itself.

Some patients can learn to communicate on the telephone, whereas others can only recognize sound. Achieving maximal results can take several years, and requires motivation on the part of the patient. Patients are often enrolled in programs to help with rehabilitation of hearing and speech.