It has been 30 years since the Dr. Emilio García-Ibáñez placed the first multichannel cochlear implant distributed in Spain by UMusic. Since then, thousands of people have heard and been moved again thanks to this device. The forecast is that in By 2023 there will be more than 20 thousand people in our country who will have a cochlear implant. New technological advances also expand the profile of possible users. At UMusic we join this 30th anniversary with the campaign #ImplantedinLife.
This new UMusic campaign seeks raise awareness in society and publicize the advantages that a cochlear implant can mean for thousands of people with hearing loss. Our company has been helping people hear again for 30 years through Nucleusthe signature device Cochlear, leading manufacturer in this sector. The figures are illustrative: more than 345 thousand implants registered so far around the world.
Hearing again changes your life. This is recognized by the beneficiaries of these electronic devices, who recover sensations and emotions. Beatriz Pradelhead of the clinical team of the UMusic Hearing Implants Area, points out in this regard that “Cochlear implants allow us to discover sounds that many people hear for the first time, such as the voices of their family members, sounds of everyday life or the sound of the sea. In addition, they recover their hearing, increase their confidence, self-esteem and feel more integrated.”
Through the campaign website, users can access information about the cochlear implant, learn more about what this technique consists of and what its benefits are. The website also offers the possibility of downloading a Guide to the implant and facilitates Contact hearing specialists. It also has videos on testimonies of people whose lives changed thanks to the cochlear implant. In them they explain in first person their story and how they reconnected with their lives. He knows the case of Jesus below:
New advances in the cochlear implant
Three decades after the first implant, both the technique and the technology used in these devices have evolved significantly. The doctor María José Lavilla, president of the SEORL Audiology Commission and ENT specialist at the Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospitalrecognizes that “The changes have been surprising, both in signal processing and in internal parts. Currently, implants are designed to stimulate the cochlea without damaging it, which, together with the experience and refined technique that surgeons specialized in this field have acquired, allows the delicate structures inside to be cared for, respected and preserved as much as possible. This will result in much better results, even in noise.”
More cochlear implant beneficiaries
Another great advance achieved in recent years is the minimum age from which an implant can be used. Thus, currently Cochlear implants can be used in children from 6 months of age so that the lack of hearing minimally affects their development. Furthermore, although for many years it was common to place a single implant in children under 7 years of age, It is already an established indication to place two implants, simultaneously (from the first year of life), or sequentially. Dr. Lavilla highlights this fact, “Since with two implants, understanding in noise is improved and the ability to localize sound is obtained. Furthermore, in prelingual children, that is, those who are born or begin with severe-profound deafness before acquiring speech, it allows optimal development of the auditory pathways and centers.”.
In the case of adults, and also children, It is increasingly common to see people with a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other.. It is also another significant recent advance to indicate the implant for severe-profound hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing or mild loss in the other ear. That is why it is important to highlight that although initially the cochlear implant was indicated for people with profound deafness in both ears, There are more and more people who, properly selected, can use this technique.
