What Are Cochlear Implants?

The cochlea is the snail shell shaped organ of the inner ear. Normally, it is responsible for turning sound that reaches your eardrum into nerve impulses that are then sent to your brain so that “hearing” can take place. In some cases of severe hearing loss, the tiny hair cells that line the inner chamber of the cochlea (and actually create these nerve impulses) are either so damaged, or absent, that amplification (hearing aids) can no longer be an effective treatment for the hearing loss.

Cochlear implants consist of a tiny wire that is lined with little stimulating electrodes and that is placed by a surgeon into the cochlear organ. These electrodes are connected to a receiver that is implanted on the skull bone just behind the ear. Through electrical stimulation of this receiver, the implanted electrodes take on the roll of the absent hair cells, creating electrical (or nerve) impulses that then are picked up by the auditory nerve centered in the cochlea for transmission to the brain.

Although it takes a bit of practice, and guidance/counseling by a qualified audiologist to get used to listening to these “bionic” impulses, people with implants report improvement in hearing and speech understanding that is simply not possible with more conventional approaches to hearing rehabilitation. As the cochlear implant technology continues to improve, and as our understanding of how the cochlea works broadens, the population of patients who can be candidates for this form of treatment is growing. 

AuDNet, Inc. is a nationwide network of independent audiology providers. All AuDNet audiologists have earned advanced university degrees in audiology, and are fully trained to interpret case histories, carefully test and evaluate all aspects of the auditory system, advise physicians on hearing loss and balance etiologies, and treat hearing loss and balance conditions that are not amenable to medical or surgical intervention. 

The first consideration in seeking hearing care is the expertise and skill of the care giver. Through the AuDNet network of audiology providers, patients have an easy and effective way of insuring that they are receiving hearing care and treatment from qualified and highly trained audiologists.