With one part housed behind the ear and the other surgically implanted into the ear to stimulate the auditory nerve, cochlear implants can be life-changing for those with a severe to profound hearing loss looking to hear better and stronger.
To best understand their immense impact on the hearing health world, it’s important to understand how long they’ve been around, how many people they’ve helped, and how they could help your hearing, too.
Who Invented Cochlear Implants?
Cochlear implants were invented in 1961 by Dr. William House and John Doyle in Los Angeles, California. With influence from similar French inventions from André Djourno and Charles Eyriès in 1957, House and Doyle created a way for individuals to hear when hearing aids weren’t quite enough.
However, cochlear implants weren’t widely received for over 20 years after their invention.
While they worked tirelessly to improve the first prototype, and over one thousand people were successfully implanted between 1972 and the mid 1980s, the scientific community held off until 1984 before cochlear implants were FDA approved for use in adults, and 1990 marked their approval for use with children.
With over 70 years of history behind them and advancements in otoprotective medications, further studies to enhance safety, and technological innovations to reduce stress and improve placement, cochlear implants have become incredibly sophisticated devices capable of enhancing your hearing beyond its previous levels.
Cochlear Implant Mapping at The Hearing Center
Our team knows firsthand the way hearing loss can affect your quality of life and overall health.
Cochlear implants can be life-changing, but the hearing health journey is one that needs perseverance, practice, and patience to make it successful. Unlike hearing aids, which amplify sound to levels you can hear, cochlear implants directly stimulate your auditory nerve – so you’re hearing electronically, as well as organically.
If you have reason to believe that cochlear implants could make a significant difference in your hearing health, we perform initial and follow-up mapping on cochlear implants from all three approved cochlear implant models from Cochlear Americas, Advanced Bionics, and Med-El.
While we do not perform cochlear implant surgery ourselves, we have many connections across the hearing healthcare industry and will refer you to a surgeon that we trust to perform the surgery efficiently and safely.
We’ll work with you to ensure that your experience with your new devices is as successful as it can be so you can get back to hearing the life you love with greater quality and clarity than ever!
If you have any questions that you think we can help answer or if you’d like to schedule an appointment, please feel free to get in touch with us via a callback, or give us a call in Pensacola at (850) 474-8328 or Gulf Breeze at (850) 969-2327.
