Cochlear Implant Candidate (Hopefully) Newbie

Posted by sdn1955 @sdn1955, Feb 14 2:56pm

Hi all. I’ve suffered three bouts of sudden hearing loss. The first affected my left ear and was relatively mild, and a single hearing aid helped. The second, about a year later, hit my right ear and resulted in profound loss (90dB and a 12% word recognition score). I was referred for an implant evaluation on my right ear. The evaluation said I was qualified, but I felt the aids were sufficient at the time, so I declined the implant.

The latest sudden loss came about two weeks ago and, again, hit my left ear and it was profound. Left/right measurements are now 90dB/100dB hearing loss and 12%/4% word recognition. My new ENT saw me and referred me to the Stanford Ear Clinic for a new evaluation. We have a month long trip to SE Asia in late March, so the earliest appointment is April 29th when we return.

I have about a million questions, many of which will have to wait for the evaluation, but I am actually looking forward to the implant and a return to a better, more normal level of hearing. My main question, at this time, is how did you decide on which of the three companies? I’m leaning toward Cochlear, mainly because they seem to have a higher presence in those places where we routinely travel. But I’m interested in what others have used as a decision basis and what I should be looking for. Because, gotta be honest, it’s overwhelming.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hearing Loss Support Group.

arrowshooter | @arrowshooter | Feb 15 6:01am

I’m doing my CI. homework now too. I’ve been referred for an evaluation which is scheduled for next week and I have lots of questions as well.

I agree that Cochlear has the largest presence in the market. But I’m becoming more impressed with AB. MedEL fell off my list. I’ve seen other products ((unrelated to hearing)where the company with the best marketing beat out another company with the best product. I’m trying to look past the advertising/marketing and make the best choice for me. I’m learning every day and the audiologist I see next week will have a lot of information and I will have a huge list of questions for her.

I’ll probably qualify but I having a hard time getting a clear view of all the connectivity, controls, and features. I’ve seen charts comparing the manufacturers but I think I have to make my own chart so I understand exactly what is in it. Generalizations can be misleading.

Good luck to you sdn1955

sdn1955 | @sdn1955 | Feb 15 6:57am

In reply to @arrowshooter "I’m doing my CI. homework now too. I’ve been referred for an evaluation which is scheduled..." + (show)

Thanks arrowshooter. Yeah, getting through the slick advertisements and into the meat of the differences is difficult. I’ll be interested in hearing how your evaluation goes.

charlaine | @charlaine | Feb 15 10:22am

I’d like to stay in this conversation. I was approved for CI and the ENT clinic strongly prefers Cochlear over AB. I live in MN so I am going to the Mayo Clinic in May for a second opinion. They also do Med-EL and I want to get the Dr advice on that brand.

sdn1955 | @sdn1955 | Feb 15 11:11am

I sincerely hope you stay! I need all the advice I can get!

mikepa | @mikepa | Feb 15 12:26pm

@sdn1955 and others
I went through this process a year ago. As a member of HLAA I was fortunate to know over 20 CI wearers and I talked to each one. I also joined online webinars by Cochlear and AB where I and other candidates had a chance to talk to CI recipients and reps of the companies. That was very helpful. I eliminated MedEl early on also. Couldn't find anyone that had one. They seem to do better in Europe.
I was leaning to AB because of my great experience with phonak hearing aids and Roger On microphone. The Roger On would continue to be compatible with a AB CI. But I wanted to keep an open mind. I found that everyone was happy with their choices and I had a hard time finding any significant differences in the 2 brands. The only slight difference I found was two engineers told me they looked deeply at the technology of the 2 brands and felt Phonak was stronger. All brands keep making improvements with each new update.
So I went with AB and was activated in September. I'm making good progress with my audio rehab. I had my surgery at U Penn (who also preferred Cochlear but I told them, I wanted AB). Surgery went well with
no issues or pain. I truly believe you can't go wrong with either one.
Feel free to ask any questions. I'd be happy to answer. But I highly recommend going to Cochlear and AB websites and look for webinars in your area. If you are on the East Coast I can give you the email addresses of the Cochlear and AB regional reps who I talked to. Good luck.

sdn1955 | @sdn1955 | Feb 15 1:21pm

West Coast guy here, going to Stanford’s Ear Institute. I already have made contact with reps from Cochlear and AB, and they’ve been both very helpful. Med-El hasn’t responded yet. I’m going to be checking out some Webinars for both.

Thanks for the reply!

hedgerow | @hedgerow | Feb 15 11:01pm

2 resources for you.

Some people find this CI comparison chart helpful as well as the website.
https://cochlearimplanthelp.com/cochlear-implant-comparison-chart/
A good resource website (American Cochlear Implant Alliance)
https://www.acialliance.org/page/AdultsPortal

sdn1955 | @sdn1955 | Feb 16 6:31am

In reply to @hedgerow "2 resources for you. Some people find this CI comparison chart helpful as well as the..." + (show)

Thanks hedgerow. Lots of homework.

3lesley | @3lesley | Feb 16 9:30am

What is the cause of your sudden hearing loss?
Please look into cochlear migraines in case that is possible.
Did you receive high dose steroid shots into eardrum?
Just in case you are not familiar with this. Hopefully you are in good hands and being treated well.

sdn1955 | @sdn1955 | Feb 16 10:11am

I’ve actually had three incidents of sudden hearing loss. First was in 2014 on my left ear; the second was a few years later in my right ear, and a couple of weeks ago again in my left. My original ENT said it was likely a virus. When he retired, I selected an ENT as Stanford Healthcare. She said they use the virus cause when they have no real idea. I do know my dad had sudden hearing loss at about the same age as I experienced my first bout, so I think hereditary factors are certainly in play. And, yes, I did the full prednisone, then inner ear injections with no effect…..other than moon face from the prednisone.

I’ll look up cochlear migraines. As to being in good hands, the Stanford Ear Institute is ranked #5 in the country, so I’m quite comfortable with that. Thanks for your post.