The inner ear or cochlea is a tiny shell-shaped cavity located between your ears that is responsible for processing sound waves and transmitting them to your brain. Cochlear implants are hearing aids that are placed within a poorly functioning cochlea in order to improve your hearing.
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Cochlear implants
Also known as: Ear, nose and throat services
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Cochlear implants consultation at The London Clinic
The inner ear or cochlea is a tiny shell-shaped cavity located between your ears that is responsible for processing sound waves and transmitting them to your brain. Cochlear implants are hearing aids that are placed within a poorly functioning cochlea in order to improve your hearing.
While ordinary hearing aids simply amplify sound waves so that you can hear better, a cochlear implant receives sound signals and then converts them into electrical signals. Because cochlear implants don’t need your inner ear to work properly in order to transmit sound waves to your brain, they are most common in people who are profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.
Cochlear implants consist of two parts:
The first part, called a receiver, sits in the bone just behind your ear and receives sound signals that it then converts into electrical signals.
The second part, called an electrode array, is placed in your inner ear and transmits these electric signals to your auditory nerve so that your brain can process them.
What to expect
Having a cochlear implant fitted
The operation to fit a cochlear implant takes between two and five hours and is performed under general anaesthetic.
The operation involves your surgeon making an incision in the back of your head where they will then create a small bed within the mastoid bone behind your ear that will hold the receiver. Next, your surgeon will place the electrode array inside your inner ear.
Your surgeon will test the receiver and electrode array to check that they are working correctly before securing the receiver to your skull and then closing the incision using dissolvable stitches. Recovering from the operation
When you come out of surgery, you’ll have a pack inside your ear to prevent germs from getting into your ear canal, as well as a large bandage around your ear.
Because the operation to fit a cochlear implant is complex and requires several hours in the operating theatre, you’ll need to stay the night in hospital once you’ve woken up after surgery.
The bandage around your head will need to be changed after about two days and the pack in your ear will need to be removed by your doctor or surgeon about a week after the operation.
Side effects of having a cochlear implant
A common side effect of having a cochlear implant is nausea as a result of the anaesthetic. Because the inner ear is responsible for balance, you may feel dizzy and you may also experience tinnitus. These side effects are temporary and should subside within a week of the operation.
Consultants
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
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- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
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If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
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