I am going through the same thing at the moment. On the 5th of October I have the CT and balance test and decide on what brand (reading and researching a lot). Actually did a chart between Cochlear and MedEl to make it a little easier to compare them and I'm leaning towards the Cochlear. I discounted AB early on as I really want an off the ear as my current BTE gives me constant dermatitis. Both Cochlear and MedEl appear to be excellent choices with their Kanso 2 and MedEl. Both have assigned someone to me to answer any questions I have. Cochlear appears to give more free accessories than MedEl, which is nice. I will also have a hearing aid in 'better???' ear. With both you can use any hearing aid brand but with Cochlear the Resound appears to seamlessly tie in to their device system. And with Cochlear it appears that it will tie into my Smartphone where with MedEl it needs their link. I read and was told that with both brands you get the remote free, however with Cochlear they also allow you to pick 3 other accessories for free (I don't know how much they cost to buy but my husband bought the TV Streamer for his hearing aids and it cost a little over $100).

If anyone else is using Cochlear or MedEl would love your thoughts. I friend has used Cochlear (now both ears) for years and has been really happy with them and their service. She lost a processor once and they immediately sent a replacement (you get a one time 'no questions asked' processor replacement with Cochlear if it happens during the warranty period (5 years for both Cochlear and MedEl I believe on the processor).

So far Dr Le (Scottsdale Mayo) hasn't indicated her favorite but we will be going over them on the 5th. She has been fantastic, as have their whole CI team. On the 7th I meet with the surgeon. Then I guess the team goes over everything to determine if the surgery is safe for me (I'm 81 and, knock on wood, in good health and very active).

Good luck on your journey. Julie