Pediatric cochlear implants

What are pediatric cochlear implants?

Cochlear implants are small, electronic devices that are inserted surgically into the inner ear and under the skin behind the ear to provide a sense of sound for someone who is profoundly deaf or hard of hearing. They include an external piece that sits behind the ear and an internal piece that is placed surgically under the skin.

Cochlear implants do not correct the cause of hearing loss and restore natural hearing. However, they do provide access to sound and spoken language to a patient who would otherwise be deaf.

What are the benefits of pediatric cochlear implants?

Cochlear implants are different than hearing aids; a hearing aid only amplifies sound. A cochlear implant bypasses your deaf child’s non-functioning inner ear and provides direct stimulation of the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve transmits those signals to the brain, which recognizes them as sound

What can I expect with pediatric cochlear implants?

At the UT Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, your child’s hearing needs are our only focus. Our team of audiologists, speech-language pathologists, surgeons and support team walks with you every step of the way to make cochlear implantation a pleasant event for you and your family.

What can I expect before pediatric cochlear implants?

Evaluation

The first step is a thorough evaluation of your child’s health and development, including:

• Hearing tests 

• Communication and language development tests

• Medical exams

• Social work consultation

• Psychological assessment

We discuss your child’s results and outline our team’s recommendation in a family consultation once the evaluation has been completed. Our team gives you the information you need to make informed decisions about your child’s care.

What can I expect during pediatric cochlear implants?

Surgery

Cochlear implant surgery can be completed at Children’s Medical Center Dallas or Children’s Medical Center Plano. It is usually scheduled as an outpatient day surgery however, in some cases, your child may need to stay in the hospital overnight.

What can I expect after pediatric cochlear implants?

Within one to two weeks of surgery, your child will have a follow-up visit with the doctor to check the surgery site and confirm that recovery is going as planned.

About a month after the surgery, you and your child will meet with an audiologist for programming (also called MAPping) to begin activation of their cochlear implant. The process takes place in increments to avoid overwhelming your child with new sounds and experiences too quickly. Your child typically attends seven MAPping appointments with an audiologist during the first year following the surgery to determine the amount of electrical stimulation each electrode delivers to the auditory nerve. After the first year, your child will usually be seen twice a year for MAPping.

Your child will also require speech and language therapy to assist in their language development. The amount of therapy required is different for each child; however, in general, most children need weekly therapy sessions during the early stages of their treatment.