A cochlear implant is a special type of hearing aid for children who have a significant hearing loss, and their hearing aids are not providing all the help they need to hear.
A cochlear implant consists of two parts. The internal part is implanted under the skin behind the ear, with electrodes placed in the inner ear (cochlear). This involves an operation.
The external part consists of the speech processor and coil. The speech processor looks similar to a conventional hearing aid and is worn behind the ear. The coil sends the signal from the processor to the internal part, allowing the user to hear.
The electrodes in the inner ear stimulate the cochlear nerve. This gives a sensation of sound and with practice your child should learn to listen and make sense of this sound.
You will meet:
Our team will work together with you and your family to assess if a cochlear implant would enable your child to be able to access more sound than their hearing aids are providing.
The Consultant ENT Surgeons are experienced ear surgeons who have specialist experience and knowledge about cochlear implants.
The Teachers of the Deaf and Speech and Language Therapists make up the Rehabilitation team. They will monitor and assess your child’s listening, and speech before and after implantation. As your child’s keyworker they will liaise with you and professionals working with your child. They will visit your child in their home and educational setting along with giving you advice on how to develop your child’s listening skills further.
The Audiology team assess your child’s hearing and hearing aid set up before implantation. They will also be looking at your child’s ability to participate in games required to programme the cochlear implant. The cochlear implant needs to be programmed specifically for your child to maximise their ability to hear. After implantation the Audiologists are responsible for programming the Cochlear implant.
YAIS currently offers both Cochlear and Med-el devices. Please see their company websites for further information.
www.medel.com
www.cochlear.com
Cochlear implantation is recognised as a safe procedure and is recommended for severe/profoundly deaf children by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
You can find out more about cochlear implants on the British Cochlear Implant Group website.
www.bcig.org.uk
YAIS is based at the Listening for Life Centre at Bradford Royal Infirmary. If you would like to contact us, our details are:
Yorkshire Auditory Implant Service – Cochlear Implants
Listening for Life Centre
Bradford Royal Infirmary
Duckworth Lane
Bradford BD9 6RJ
Tel: 01274 364853
Email: ycis.helpline@bthft.nhs.uk
SMS text: 07966 447 408
YAIS website: www.Yais.nhs.uk
You can contact us using the Relay UK app. Textphone users will need to dial 18001 ahead of the number to be contacted.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a smoke-free organisation. You are not permitted to smoke or in use e-cigarettes in any of the hospital buildings or grounds.
