Cochlear Implant
Hearing restoration is a pathway, not only an operation.
Successful cochlear implantation depends on candidate selection, audiological assessment, imaging, surgery, programming and rehabilitation working together.
Candidate SelectionAudiologyImagingSurgeryMappingRehabilitation
Who may need assessment
When hearing aids are no longer enough.
Severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss
With limited functional benefit from appropriately fitted hearing aids.
With limited functional benefit from appropriately fitted hearing aids.
Poor speech understanding despite amplification
Especially when communication remains substantially impaired.
Especially when communication remains substantially impaired.
Children with significant bilateral hearing loss
Where timely auditory access is important for speech-language development.
Where timely auditory access is important for speech-language development.
Complex ear anatomy or prior ear surgery
Where surgical planning needs additional imaging and expertise.
Where surgical planning needs additional imaging and expertise.
Team-based care
Surgery is one part of the process.
Audiology, device counselling, mapping and rehabilitation are essential to outcomes. Families should expect a staged pathway rather than a single-day intervention.
Implant pathway
Assessment → candidacy → surgery → activation → rehabilitation.
1
Audiology
Define hearing level and aided performance.
2
Medical review
ENT assessment and imaging.
3
Candidacy
Benefit-risk discussion and device counselling.
4
Implant surgery
Procedure with anatomy-specific planning.
5
Rehabilitation
Activation, mapping and auditory-verbal rehabilitation.