Woman and girl undergo simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad
FARIDABAD : Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, has conducted simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant surgeries in two female patients, bestowing on them the gift of hearing. A 23-year-old woman and a 4-year-old girl, both from Delhi, suffered from hearing impairment. The woman underwent progressive hearing loss since childhood till she lost the capacity to hear completely. On the other hand, the young girl, was diagnosed with hearing impairment a year after birth. The patients were brought to Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, when all alternatives to restore their hearing failed.
Said Dr. Shomeshwar Singh, Sr. Consultant, ENT & Cochlear Implants, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad: “Hearing loss affects about 6% of India’s population, which is around 63 million people, as per WHO data. By-birth hearing impairment occurs in 4-8 out of every 1,000 live births. Cochlear implants are needed in people with severe hearing loss who are no longer helped by using hearing aids. But this surgery has to done at the earliest possible, as delayed intervention allows the brain to adapt to silence, increasing reliance on visual cues.”
Added Dr. Aparna Mahajan, Consultant ENT Surgeon, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad: “Timely screenings are vital as infant hearing loss often goes unnoticed. Early intervention with hearing aids or cochlear implants significantly improves outcomes and a child’s hearing potential. Cochlear implantation is most effective by 8-9 months of age.”
Cochlear implants are tiny electronic devices that stimulate the auditory nerve through electrodes placed in cochlea of the inner ear. These may be placed in one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral). In simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation, both ears of a patient are fitted with cochlear implants in a single surgical session.
Both the surgeries, that lasted around four hours, were conducted by an Amrita Hospital team that included Dr. Shomeshwar Singh, Dr. Aparna Mahajan and Divya Chauhan, Audiologist. The procedure was successful. Turning the in-ear devices three weeks after surgery enabled both the patients to hear sounds without any impairment.
Said Dr. Shomeshwar Singh: “Simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant surgery requires expert skills, specialized training, and top-notch infrastructure to minimize Anaesthetic complications. Surgeons have to drill through the temporal bone, the hard bone you feel behind the ear under an operating microscope and facial nerve monitors. They cannot afford to be even half a millimeter off target as that can lead to facial paralysis. However, the technology is well-evolved and, in experienced hands, there is less than 1% chance of any complications. Bilateral cochlear implant enables the recipient to hear sounds with much more ease and comfort in addition to being able to localize the source of sound. There is no fatigue associated with the hearing of one ear only.”
Added Dr. Aparna Mahajan: “Globally, bilateral cochlear implant surgery is the norm. However, programs funded by the Indian Government support cost for operating in only one ear. In absence of government support, the high cost of the procedure prevents people from getting both ears operated at the same time. Bilateral cochlear implantation is the need of the hour in children and adults who are hearing impaired in both ears.”
Said the 23-year-old patient: “This is like a dream come true. I cannot believe I can hear again after so many years. I thank the doctors of Amrita Hospital for giving my life back.”
Said the father of four-year-old patient: “I cannot describe in words the relief and satisfaction that I and my wife are feeling after seeing our daughter hear sounds for the first time in her life. This is a life-changing surgery for her. I thank the doctors of Amrita Hospital from the bottom of my heart for giving my daughter a normal life like any other child of her age.”