1. Question: What is the optimum age for a cochlear implant?
2. Question: What is the maximum age at which an implant can be performed?
3. Question: Should a child use hearing aid before surgery?
4. Question: what is the optimum age for a case with post lingual deafness?
5. Who is a candidate for cochlear implant?
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1. Question: What is the optimum age for a cochlear implant?
Answer: In a child born with profound deafness the optimum age is 1-3 years; general dictum is, the earlier the better. Youngest we have operated is 9 months old.
2. Question: What is the maximum age at which an implant can be performed?
Answer: In a child born severely hearing impaired, the implant should preferably be performed by 5 years for best results; this is because the auditory nerve shows some signs of atrophy after the age of 5 years. However if the child has been using hearing aids(Called a ‘switch over candidate’) even surgery at 10-12 years gives good results.
3. Question: Should a child use hearing aid before surgery?
Answer: Yes, if the patient is taking time to decide about surgery-this cuts down rehabilitation time.
4. Question: what is the optimum age for a case with post lingual deafness?
Answer: Age is no bar. Even 80 year olds have been successfully implanted. In a case of post meningitis hearing loss-implantation should ideally be 3-6 months after recovery from meningitis otherwise technical difficulties arise due to ossification of cochlea.
5. Who is a candidate for cochlear implant?
Answer:
1) Individualised selection
2) Bilateral severe is profound hearing loss not benefitted by high power hearing aids.
3) Having a functional auditory nerve.
4) A committed family willing for 3 months of intensive speech therapy, realistic expectations.
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