1. < Hearing Loss

Cochlear Implants: How well do they work at an older age?

Posted by Julie Chitwood @billchitwood, Sep 7, 2021

Looks like I might be a candidate for a cochlear implant. I'm 81 and wondering how well people have done with the implant at an older age. Is it easier to adjust to hearing as having had good hearing for most of my life? Any suggestions/information appreciated.

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shirla | @shirla | Sep 24, 2021
In reply to @billchitwood "I am going through the same thing at the moment. On the 5th of October I..." + (show)
@billchitwood

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

Jump to this post

Thanks soooo much. That was quite helpful. All comments are welcomed! This is a stressful process. Good luck to you too. Shirley

REPLY
Mentor
Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Sep 25, 2021
In reply to @shirla "Hi everyone, I'm new here. I've worn binaural aids since I was 30...resound and phonak. Dr...." + (show)
@shirla

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I've worn binaural aids since I was 30...resound and phonak. Dr. is now recommending cochlear implant on worse ear...kind of scary to me. Had 2 hour meeting - hearing tests and discussions about various brands. Overwhelmed!! Audi seemed to lean toward Cochlear Nucleus system with Resound aide for other ear. Reading 3 fat brochures on that and MedEl and Advanced Bionics. Is it allowed to comment on those in the group? I'd love any/all opinions

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I was implanted with the Nucleus Freedom CI by Cochlear Corp. in 2005. I've upgraded processors during those years. I've been very pleased with the service from Cochlear Corp. The accessories were added when the N6 came on the market, prior to that I used direct audio input to hook up a hand held microphone. I also use the telecoils in both my hearing aid and CI processor a lot.

In our HLAA Chapter in Appleton Wisconsin, three people have had successful CI surgeries after age 86. Their only regret is not having done it sooner. If a person is in good health, a cochlear implant should be a good option. In most cases, CI surgery is done on an out patient basis.

We all know that binaural hearing is best. My experience also shows that the brain adapts to hearing with 2 different technologies. As a bimodal user of both a CI and a HA, it astounds me how well they work together. Further, I'm pleased with the accessories that Cochlear has provided. The mini mic 2+ is one of my "best friends!" The interesting thing is that I need both technologies up and running to be able to hear well. My hearing tests with both technologies show I have 90+ percent word recognition. Prior to the implant I was in the 20% range.

One thing that concerns me is that Cochlear has eliminated the telecoil in the off the ear Kanso2. The telecoil is important to me. I use it with several audio devices, including my laptop computer. It also connects me wirelessly to hearing loops in many places. The BTE processors still have the telecoil, so I will not be upgrading to an off the ear processor anytime soon. In fairness, I will add that the mini mic 2+ has a telecoil that will sync with the Kanso 2. It then becomes a matter of having it charged and ready to use when needed. I highly recommend that when choosing accessories for implants of Cochlear CIs, that you choose the mini mic2+ as one of them. You should not need the phone clip because the new processors can sync with your phone.

It's pretty amazing to realize that the technology we have available to us today has only been evolving for a few decades. Thirty years ago we had very few choices. So thankful!

Last piece of advice for people who plan to have cochlear implants: ASK to have an anti nausea patch prior to the surgery. NOT after it. For some reason, this is not done automatically. So be proactive and ask for it. You won't regret it.

REPLY
2 replies
shirla | @shirla | Sep 25, 2021
In reply to @julieo4 "I was implanted with the Nucleus Freedom CI by Cochlear Corp. in 2005. I've upgraded processors..." + (show)
@julieo4

I was implanted with the Nucleus Freedom CI by Cochlear Corp. in 2005. I've upgraded processors during those years. I've been very pleased with the service from Cochlear Corp. The accessories were added when the N6 came on the market, prior to that I used direct audio input to hook up a hand held microphone. I also use the telecoils in both my hearing aid and CI processor a lot.

In our HLAA Chapter in Appleton Wisconsin, three people have had successful CI surgeries after age 86. Their only regret is not having done it sooner. If a person is in good health, a cochlear implant should be a good option. In most cases, CI surgery is done on an out patient basis.

We all know that binaural hearing is best. My experience also shows that the brain adapts to hearing with 2 different technologies. As a bimodal user of both a CI and a HA, it astounds me how well they work together. Further, I'm pleased with the accessories that Cochlear has provided. The mini mic 2+ is one of my "best friends!" The interesting thing is that I need both technologies up and running to be able to hear well. My hearing tests with both technologies show I have 90+ percent word recognition. Prior to the implant I was in the 20% range.

One thing that concerns me is that Cochlear has eliminated the telecoil in the off the ear Kanso2. The telecoil is important to me. I use it with several audio devices, including my laptop computer. It also connects me wirelessly to hearing loops in many places. The BTE processors still have the telecoil, so I will not be upgrading to an off the ear processor anytime soon. In fairness, I will add that the mini mic 2+ has a telecoil that will sync with the Kanso 2. It then becomes a matter of having it charged and ready to use when needed. I highly recommend that when choosing accessories for implants of Cochlear CIs, that you choose the mini mic2+ as one of them. You should not need the phone clip because the new processors can sync with your phone.

It's pretty amazing to realize that the technology we have available to us today has only been evolving for a few decades. Thirty years ago we had very few choices. So thankful!

Last piece of advice for people who plan to have cochlear implants: ASK to have an anti nausea patch prior to the surgery. NOT after it. For some reason, this is not done automatically. So be proactive and ask for it. You won't regret it.

Jump to this post

Lots of good information. Thank you. And anesthesia always does me in so good to know about anti-nausea patch prior.

REPLY
shirla | @shirla | Sep 25, 2021
In reply to @billchitwood "Thank you so much for the information." + (show)
@billchitwood

Thank you so much for the information.

Jump to this post

Thank you for that. I will check it out. I am so glad I found this forum!! In two days I have received an amazing amount of excellent info.

REPLY
Julie Chitwood | @billchitwood | Sep 25, 2021
In reply to @julieo4 "I was implanted with the Nucleus Freedom CI by Cochlear Corp. in 2005. I've upgraded processors..." + (show)
@julieo4

I was implanted with the Nucleus Freedom CI by Cochlear Corp. in 2005. I've upgraded processors during those years. I've been very pleased with the service from Cochlear Corp. The accessories were added when the N6 came on the market, prior to that I used direct audio input to hook up a hand held microphone. I also use the telecoils in both my hearing aid and CI processor a lot.

In our HLAA Chapter in Appleton Wisconsin, three people have had successful CI surgeries after age 86. Their only regret is not having done it sooner. If a person is in good health, a cochlear implant should be a good option. In most cases, CI surgery is done on an out patient basis.

We all know that binaural hearing is best. My experience also shows that the brain adapts to hearing with 2 different technologies. As a bimodal user of both a CI and a HA, it astounds me how well they work together. Further, I'm pleased with the accessories that Cochlear has provided. The mini mic 2+ is one of my "best friends!" The interesting thing is that I need both technologies up and running to be able to hear well. My hearing tests with both technologies show I have 90+ percent word recognition. Prior to the implant I was in the 20% range.

One thing that concerns me is that Cochlear has eliminated the telecoil in the off the ear Kanso2. The telecoil is important to me. I use it with several audio devices, including my laptop computer. It also connects me wirelessly to hearing loops in many places. The BTE processors still have the telecoil, so I will not be upgrading to an off the ear processor anytime soon. In fairness, I will add that the mini mic 2+ has a telecoil that will sync with the Kanso 2. It then becomes a matter of having it charged and ready to use when needed. I highly recommend that when choosing accessories for implants of Cochlear CIs, that you choose the mini mic2+ as one of them. You should not need the phone clip because the new processors can sync with your phone.

It's pretty amazing to realize that the technology we have available to us today has only been evolving for a few decades. Thirty years ago we had very few choices. So thankful!

Last piece of advice for people who plan to have cochlear implants: ASK to have an anti nausea patch prior to the surgery. NOT after it. For some reason, this is not done automatically. So be proactive and ask for it. You won't regret it.

Jump to this post

Regarding the anti nausea patch - if I haven't had problems with nausea with eye surgery (carrack and tear duct) would the CI cause a different reaction? I'm always reductant to take meds. When I had the tear duct surgery I should have given in and taken the stronger pain pill rather then a Aleve that first night lol. By the next morning I was ok.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Sep 25, 2021
In reply to @billchitwood "Regarding the anti nausea patch - if I haven't had problems with nausea with eye surgery..." + (show)
@billchitwood

Regarding the anti nausea patch - if I haven't had problems with nausea with eye surgery (carrack and tear duct) would the CI cause a different reaction? I'm always reductant to take meds. When I had the tear duct surgery I should have given in and taken the stronger pain pill rather then a Aleve that first night lol. By the next morning I was ok.

Jump to this post

I too am reluctant to take unnecessary drugs. Not sure what to tell you. The anti nausea patch is a preventative. I took it when having another surgery on request and had no nausea. This advice was given to me pre CI. I took it and had absolutely no nausea. The strongest drug I took after surgery was Tylenol. Talk to your surgeon about this.

REPLY
1 reply
Julie Chitwood | @billchitwood | Sep 25, 2021
In reply to @julieo4 "I too am reluctant to take unnecessary drugs. Not sure what to tell you. The anti..." + (show)
@julieo4

I too am reluctant to take unnecessary drugs. Not sure what to tell you. The anti nausea patch is a preventative. I took it when having another surgery on request and had no nausea. This advice was given to me pre CI. I took it and had absolutely no nausea. The strongest drug I took after surgery was Tylenol. Talk to your surgeon about this.

Jump to this post

Thank you. I'll do that.

REPLY
Julie Chitwood | @billchitwood | Oct 29, 2021
In reply to @imallears "@billchitwood I understand completely and your Audi should be able to mute some of that noise..." + (show)
@imallears

@billchitwood

I understand completely and your Audi should be able to mute some of that noise and balance out the area where speech is still audible but background noise doesn’t interfere too much. That is a challenging adjustment and my Audi has done that for me. And it has little to do with volume.

There will always be overwhelming venues but you should be comfortable in your own home and in your daily routine coming and going. Go back and keep going back for adjustments until your everyday environment is more comfortable. Tell the Audi you don’t need to hear the fridge or even the AC. She can do that adjustment without compromising speech intelligibility too much.

Also have your molds checked for proper fitting if you wear BTEs.
There should be no leakage of sound. Phonak does not make good molds in my opinion. My Audi switched to Westone and I am wearing a new mold from them with a better seal and softer material and that goes up the concha a bit to keep it in place. I have never had a vent in my molds. Molds make all the difference in the world and not enough emphasis is put on their importance to optimal hearing. For my profound loss I need a full seal around the main piece and an extra long piece that goes into the canal.

Go get em…..Aids are too expensive to settle for anything but the best.

FL Mary

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I think I'm allergic to the Phonak HAs - I keep getting dermatitis, which in turns makes the HAs not work that well. Yikes. Mayo was supposed to set an appointment for surgery but I haven't heard back other than to be told the information was given to the surgeon's nurse. He was concerned that I'm on the border line of a CI helping - but I'm having so many problems with the HAs that they are driving me nuts. Even the phone streaming isn't working well - I started the hydrocortisone cream again a few days ago so dermatitis better, which means today the HAs are actually better. But they advise not using that constantly and as soon as I stop the dermatitis is back in both ears. I never had a problem with old HAs. Just with the new ones.

REPLY
1 reply
imallears | @imallears | Oct 29, 2021
In reply to @billchitwood "I think I'm allergic to the Phonak HAs - I keep getting dermatitis, which in turns..." + (show)
@billchitwood

I think I'm allergic to the Phonak HAs - I keep getting dermatitis, which in turns makes the HAs not work that well. Yikes. Mayo was supposed to set an appointment for surgery but I haven't heard back other than to be told the information was given to the surgeon's nurse. He was concerned that I'm on the border line of a CI helping - but I'm having so many problems with the HAs that they are driving me nuts. Even the phone streaming isn't working well - I started the hydrocortisone cream again a few days ago so dermatitis better, which means today the HAs are actually better. But they advise not using that constantly and as soon as I stop the dermatitis is back in both ears. I never had a problem with old HAs. Just with the new ones.

Jump to this post

@billchitwood
Hi
It sounds like you are allergic to the molds or domes not the hard part of the hearing aid itself so it’s not that you are allergic to Phonaks. Am I understanding that correctly?

I have dry ears and use mineral oil, on the advice of my ENT, and it helps a lot with any itching or dermatitis .I use it whenever I feel it is necessary and put a few drops in the canals at night from time to time. It acts like a moisturizer. I can understand why ear canals get infected and red with dermatitis….ears are plugged up all day with no ventilation.
Some people suffer more than others and the irritation can extend outward to the lobe. It’s one of the downsides of wearing BTEs.

FL Mary

REPLY
1 reply
Julie Chitwood | @billchitwood | Oct 29, 2021
In reply to @imallears "@billchitwood Hi It sounds like you are allergic to the molds or domes not the hard..." + (show)
@imallears

@billchitwood
Hi
It sounds like you are allergic to the molds or domes not the hard part of the hearing aid itself so it’s not that you are allergic to Phonaks. Am I understanding that correctly?

I have dry ears and use mineral oil, on the advice of my ENT, and it helps a lot with any itching or dermatitis .I use it whenever I feel it is necessary and put a few drops in the canals at night from time to time. It acts like a moisturizer. I can understand why ear canals get infected and red with dermatitis….ears are plugged up all day with no ventilation.
Some people suffer more than others and the irritation can extend outward to the lobe. It’s one of the downsides of wearing BTEs.

FL Mary

Jump to this post

I'm guessing the molds - I have used mineral oil for helping prevent wax build-up, which I tend to get in right ear (the one they want to do the CI). The dermatitis causes a clear fluid to flow, causing a crust build-up in the outer ear come morning. If I use the hyrocortisone cream that will clear it up within a few days (calls for 7 days). When I finish the 7 days very shortly thereafter the dermatitis is back!

Once again I've asked for the CI to be scheduled - the right ear wouldn't have the HA inserted and I think they could use a hypoallergic material on the left side - or hope so. Today I can hear as day 4 of hyrocortisone treatment. From what I've read this isn't a long term, every day, solution?

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