At Midwest ENT, we are excited to announce a significant milestone in our Cochlear Implant (CI) program: the 100th CI surgery and activation.
This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to improving the lives of individuals with hearing loss and helping them rediscover the sounds of life.
We’re proud to share the story of Sarah, our 100th patient to undergo CI surgery and activation. Sarah’s journey began with a respiratory illness that led to ear infections in both ears and significant vertigo, ultimately resulting in profound hearing loss in her left ear. Despite trying various treatments, including injections, Sarah’s hearing loss was diagnosed as unilateral profound sensorineural.
“I was so surprised when the hearing test showed that I had lost all of the hearing in my left ear,” Sarah shared. “But I was glad that ENT was already on my care team.”
For Sarah, living with hearing loss was particularly challenging as a teacher specializing in reading intervention. It impacted her ability to communicate with her children, family, and in noisy social settings. While a contralateral routing of signal (CROS) hearing aid system offered some assistance, Sarah was eager to explore other options. After learning more about cochlear implants from the Audiology team at Midwest ENT, she decided this was the right path forward.
With encouragement from her family, including her sister (an audiologist), and guidance from her cochlear implant mentor at Advanced Bionics, Sarah confidently decided to move forward with the procedure. On the day of her activation, her parents, sister, and mentor were all present, celebrating this major milestone alongside her.
“My hearing loss journey has been frustrating, but I am hopeful,” she says. “I’m glad that I have professionals and family to support me.”
Since Sarah’s surgery and recent activation, she is already beginning to experience the benefits of the cochlear implant.
“On activation day, I had no idea what to expect but as I started to hear sounds and words from my family and audiologists, I knew the future would be bright with my implant. The nerves quickly disappeared, and I was excited to get home and begin training my brain! Any hesitation was quickly confirmed that this was the best decision for me.”
Celebrating activation day with Sarah, her family, her audiologist, and the Advanced Bionics team.
If you or a loved one has undergone a cochlear implant procedure with us, we’d love to hear your story. Whether you were one of our first patients or just recently received your implant, we invite you to share your experience with us. Your story could inspire others who are considering this life-changing procedure. Curious about which number you were? Connect with us here, and we’ll let you know.
Learn more about our Cochlear Implant program and how we can help you or your loved one on the journey to better hearing here.