Cochlear Implant
Hope for those with profound hearing loss.
Providence Speech and Hearing Center provides Cochlear Implant Services, specializing in pediatrics and adults, in Orange County.
The Cochlear Implant Program at Providence Speech and Hearing Center is a multi-disciplinary group of experts that consists of Audiologists, Speech-Language Pathologists serving the full spectrum of patients - infants through adults.
In its first year, we provided more than 200 evaluations to children, infants and adults to determine if they are candidates for cochlear implantation. Partnering with CHOC and UCI for surgery. Providence provides the critical follow-up, post-surgery for implant mapping, speech and language therapy, and all necessary wrap-around services required for implant patient success.
Each member of the cochlear implant team is integral in helping to assess and ensure the success of the cochlear implants. Many people believe cochlear implants are the answer to their children’s hearing disabilities and once implanted, the children will hear “normally.” The reality is that the cochlear implant surgery is one step in a long road toward communication. Once the surgical site is healed, the implant is activated, and the initial mapping is performed. Frequent adjustments to the maps are required to maximize hearing and communication, along with speech-language therapy which is paramount to long-term success.
Providence is there to provide a continuum of care through the entire journey for each patient. Once the patient's brain can hear sounds, our team works to teach the patient to recognize those sounds and develop language. Listening and spoken language are the goals, and the lifelong impact for each child is immeasurable.
What is a cochlear implant?
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound for a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing and in whom hearing aids provide little to no benefit. A processor behind the ear captures and processes sound signals, which are transmitted to an internal receiver housed in the cochlea (inner ear).
Mapping (MAPs) is the term for programming a cochlear implant to the specifications and needs of its user. MAPs are programs that help to optimize the cochlear implant user’s access to sound.