Five things to know about M Health Fairview’s cochlear implant program
For the millions of Americans living with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss, cochlear implants are a life-changing way to connect and communicate. The small electronic devices are designed to restore hearing and can be an alternative to hearing aids for people who need more support.
Adults who may need cochlear implants typically have significant difficulty understanding speech even when using hearing aids. Children may also have difficulty understanding speech or have delays in speech and language development. Cochlear implants are used for sensorineural hearing loss, meaning the hearing loss stems from damage in the inner ear.
While hearing aids amplify sound and require use of remaining cells in the cochlea (part of the inner ear), cochlear implants bypass the damaged cells by using electric impulses to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. They consist of components that a surgeon implants in your ear and a piece that you wear externally, like a hearing aid.
We asked M Health Fairview audiologists Dianna Hart, AuD, CCC-A, CISC, and Jennifer Ward, AuD, to share five key things about our unique cochlear implant program and the power of these life-changing devices for adults and children with sensorineural hearing loss.
Our cochlear implant team is with you every step of the way.
Once a patient or family chooses to receive a cochlear implant, our team of experts will be there to help during every stage of the process.
“We want to make patients feel comfortable with their decision, which is why we emphasize patient education ahead of time” said Hart. “Developing a relationship with patients before the surgery is just as crucial as caring for them afterwards — we’re with them every step of this lifetime journey.”
Our multidisciplinary approach makes a difference.
At M Health Fairview, our multidisciplinary team goes far beyond the traditional team audiologists (hearing and balance specialists) and otolarynogologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors). M Health Fairview provides a comprehensive experience for our patients and their families that includes an entire spectrum of care during their lifelong cochlear implant journey. These specialties may include ophthalmology, genetic counseling, infectious disease, health psychology, and aural rehabilitation – depending on the distinct needs of each patient.
Research and technological advancements are critical to our care.
M Health Fairview performed the first cochlear implant surgery in Minnesota in 1986. Since then, we’ve performed over 1,700 surgeries.
As one of the largest cochlear implant programs in the state, we aim to provide our patients with the largest variety of implants available and are one of a few health systems in Minnesota to offer implants from all three manufacturers—Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Americas, and MED-EL. Since these manufacturers are constantly developing new advancements, these partnerships help us give our patients the broadest selection of newest devices to improve their performance and outcomes.
“I’ve been practicing for almost 25 years and have seen a lot of technology changes” said Ward. “It’s great to see how these new implants can stream to other devices, take up less space, and even allow patients to swim—all ways to help kids feel like they are doing the same things other kids can do.”
Specialized rehabilitation care helps patients make the most of their implants.
Implant surgery and activation of the device are just the first steps. M Health Fairview is one of the only cochlear implant providers in Minnesota to offer specialty rehabilitation following surgery. Our team includes a speech language pathologist and aural rehabilitation specialist, Katie Warne, MSP, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT. Warne works closely with our other experts to support patients with cochlear implants as they age.
“Katie is critical for our patients, whether with children’s speech and language development or with adults learning to hear in a new way with a cochlear implant,” said Hart. “She helps patients make all the progress they can.”
Research shows that children who receive a cochlear implant and intensive therapy before they are 18 months old can develop language skills at a comparable rate to children with normal hearing. This early intervention is key for infants and toddlers who were born deaf or hard-of-hearing.
