Infant Cochlear Implant Surgery Risks
Between two to four of every 1,000 Americans are deaf, including many children, according to Gallaudet University. If your baby is born entirely or mostly deaf, at some point you'll probably be asked to decide whether to give her cochlear implant surgery.
What is a Cochlear Implant?
Cochlear implants are small electronic devices that give deaf children and adults a sense of sound. The implant's external part rests behind the ear and includes a microphone and a processor that send coded signals to the internal part, which must be surgically placed beneath the skin. The internal part stimulates the auditory nerves, which are then interpreted by the brain as sound. People with cochlear implants do not hear like someone with normal hearing, but they do hear more than they would otherwise.
Do Babies Get Cochlear Implants?
Babies can get cochlear implants if they are deaf or nearly so. Approximately 25,500 children have had cochlear implant surgery. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it's safe for children as young as 12 months to receive implants designed for that age group, most American children don't receive implants until at least age 2.
Nonetheless, according to a study published by The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, otolaryngologists Adrian L. James (Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in Bristol, UK) and Blake C. Papsin (Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) found that babies as young as 7 months can safely receive cochlear implants.
What to Expect
A baby usually receives a sedative before leaving his hospital room; this helps calm anxious feelings and puts him to sleep. A little bit of hair is shaved behind and above one ear, followed by an incision measuring about 2 inches long. The surgeon creates an indentation in the ear bone and the inner ear is opened slightly to make room for the device. The surgery lasts about two to three hours.
Short-Term Risks
Babies may experience some temporary pain after the surgery, but it is usually controlled by Tylenol. The surgery can also lead to staph infection and permanent or temporary bouts of vertigo (dizziness) and tinnitus (ringing or buzzing sensations). Some patients also experience partial and temporary facial nerve paralysis lasting anywhere from days to months.
Long-Term Risks
Children and babies who received cochlear implant surgery are 30 percent more likely to get bacterial meningitis than other children, according to the FDA. Therefore, children with implants or who may get implants should receive the Hib vaccine and be closely monitored for bacterial infections.
Some patients--including children who received the surgery as babies--also report loss of taste on the side of their mouth where the device was implanted. Neon lights also interfere with the device, causing a strong buzzing sound. In addition, according to the FDA, any hearing a child has prior to surgery may be destroyed during the surgery. This means if the costly device needs replacing, the child will be entirely deaf if she or her parents can't afford to replace it. It also means that if a better option comes along in the future, the child may not be able to partake.
Tags: Cochlear Implant, cochlear implants, children according, cochlear implant, Implant Surgery
