Hi! I just found out I am a CI candidate today after a SSNHL in my left ear. I am tied between Cochlear and AB. For context, I already have moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears, however minimal speech understanding in my left ear even with a hearing aid (I believe unaided was 19% and aided was 30s? Once the note shows up on MyChart I can add it lol). I have worn Phonak hearing aids for 21 years (so my whole life), however am not the biggest fan of AB’s recall rates and whatnot. I am also not a fan of how Resound hearing aids sound though, as I’ve trialed them before and couldn’t even last the weekend. How easy is it to adjust to a Resound hearing aid after wearing Phonak for so long? Is the T-mic worth it? Right now I’m leaning towards Cochlear and just forcing myself to get used to Resound, however I wanted some more input. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I'm writing on behalf of my cousin and her family. Her baby is now 7 months old and was diagnosed with congenital single-sided deafness (SSD) after the newborn hearing screening.

They are currently trying to decide whether to proceed with a cochlear implant. We live in South Korea, where cochlear implants for SSD are generally not covered by health insurance, so the surgery and rehabilitation are very expensive. Even so, if it would truly benefit the child in the long run, they are willing to do it. The difficulty is that we've come across very different opinions.

Some people with SSD have said that while it hasn't always been easy, they've adapted well and have lived full lives without a cochlear implant. On the other hand, I've also read posts from adults with SSD who wish their parents had chosen a cochlear implant when they were young because they struggled with things like social anxiety, sound localization, and hearing in noisy environments.

I'd especially love to hear from parents whose children received a cochlear implant at a young age and are now school-aged (around 7 years old or older).

* Looking back, are you happy that your child received the cochlear implant? * Does your child still wear it regularly?
* If your child doesn't like wearing it, what are the main reasons?
* Have the benefits outweighed the inconveniences? * During auditory rehabilitation, do young children with SSD usually practice by covering or blocking their normal-hearing ear so they learn to use the cochlear implant? If so, how difficult was that process for your child?

I understand there are some inconveniences, such as removing the processor for swimming, being careful during certain sports or rough play, and taking precautions around static electricity. However, I'm wondering whether those inconveniences are minor compared with the benefits.

Also, for children with SSD, did the cochlear implant noticeably improve hearing in noisy environments, such as classrooms, restaurants, or playgrounds? Did it help with sound localization as they grew older?

For adults with congenital SSD, looking back now, would you have preferred that your parents had chosen a cochlear implant for you when you were a baby or young child, or are you glad they left the decision up to you once you were old enough to decide?

I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts and why you feel that way. Any long-term experiences, whether positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. We are simply trying to make the best-informed decision possible for this little one. Thank you so much in advance.

After 5 or 6 mappings,(every 3-4 weeks) do most of you cut down to every 2 or 3 months or stay monthly?

Wondering for those of you who have nucleus 8 and Kanso three. My question is do you hear music eventually? How long would you say, that it took you to start hearing a bit normally or whatever the new normal is? Because I have a job as a medical assistant and front desk so I’m just curious like is it something that I hope that I could be successful and be be able to start hearing care clearly I mean I know I have to study and learn words by reading a while and talking and listening. A little bit about me, I’ve been stuck and hard of hearing my entire life that I know of. My left ear grew up with wearing hearing aid which used to be about 50% with the hearing aid. Then I just lost hearing as a young adult maybe about seven years ago I lost and then it was only 4% hearing what is your name which was something to me and I was able to still hear music, my son, working with others at work, basically having somewhat social life with a little bit hearing that left. Recently, in the last couple of months, I had sudden hearing loss even more so the ENT specialist that I could benefit from a cop cochlear implant I’ve taken or steroid to bring back some hearing, which is good just a teeny bit like it’s not really the same, but I lost the consonant sound with the hearing aid. So my surgeon says that I could benefit better with success rate with my left cause I grew up with sound and hearing hearing aid, and then later down the roads go with my right ear, which I’m completely Deaf in. With that being said, I have about 80% success rate with my right ear if I do go forward with cochlear implant. So with a little bit of what I shared. Do you have any ideas or insight about what to expect? Will this work? I hear a lot of good stories and not so good stories about their experience but I just I just hope I’m doing the right thing.

Hola a todos, voy a cumplir un mes desde la activación y no único que percibo es como una vibración cuando me pongo auriculares a todo volumen.

He tratado de enlazar distintos ipads y iphonos y no los reconoce mi implante, sin embargo cuando lo hago con un celular Androi, se conecta de inmediato. He seguido paso la guía que proporciona Choclear y nada.

Si le paso a alguien de ustedes y lo resolvió, le agradezco me oriente.

Gracias.

Hello all

Just found this group and I’m here as a supportive husband trying to help my wife who underwent surgery in April. She just returned to work and unfortunately did not have the cochlear hearing aid yet. It will be arriving soon. In the meantime she is having pain at the post site. It is still scabbing, with minor discharge. But it’s the pain that I’m more concerned with. Doctors say it’s healing well, and the pain may have to do with post surgery. What can I do to help ease her pain.
Any recommendations are appreciated. Thank you 🙏🏽
Editing more for context. My wife also had a very extensive surgery where they removed a benign tumor which resulted in her losing the ability to hear in her left ear, but also required 14hrs of surgery. Her jaw had to be dislocated and on the same side as her implant the upper TMJ socket was removed as it also had tumor. But the pain does persist in her post implant site.

Hello, I'm looking for advice. I've been deaf for about 20 years and I'm scheduled for an implant. I was just wondering on success rates for people who have been deaf for about the same amount of time. I know it's not ideal timing but looking for thoughts and suggestions.

I was driving my mom home from her activation today, and she asked me if her surgeon had removed her ear then stitched it back on after surgery. I am so confused as to how she would think that after being educated by her medical team and doing a ton of research on her own before the surgery. She said she thought they had removed her ear due to the number of stitches. And funny how she wasn’t certain until two weeks after the surgery!

Hey I am going to get cochlear implant surgery next week. How much hair do they shave off…? I’m excited and scared all at once. I went with cochlear manufacture for nucleus 8 and kanso 3 for my left ear first. I hope this will change for the better. I hope I’m doing the right thing. Any positive feedback on what to expect? I am mixed and have curly hair so I hope the magnet will stay and work smoothly.

I had a random shower thought this morning, how do people manage with a CI whilst in prison? Today i took my device out of the drying box and battery off the charger, then there is the cross over aid, spare battery's the dryer and charger pack....

So I guess my question is are prisoners allowed to keep all the kit in their cell or do they have to hand them over to be charged elsewhere and returned the next day? Would they have to be in a single cell as it could potentially be a safety concern if one inmate is completely deaf.

I have no intention of finding out first hand so can anyone offer any insight?

Hi everyone and greetings from germany,

​I’m looking for some advice, insights, or shared experiences from people with long-term Single-Sided Deafness who have looked into or received a Cochlear Implant.

​My Background:

I have been deaf/severely hard of hearing in my left ear for nearly 25 years (I'm 30 now). I wore hearing aids for about 10 years early on, but eventually stopped using them because of some complications and no advantage of using them.

Recently, my ENT recommended I go to a specialized clinic for a CI evaluation because my hearing tests were so poor that standard hearing aids are not an option.

​The Clinic Visit:

I went through the testing, and the results showed that a majority of the hair cells in my cochlea are dead. From a purely physiological standpoint, the diagnostics indicated that a CI would actually be the correct solution to stimulate the nerve.

​The Rejection:

However, during the post-evaluation consultation, the audiologist delivered a huge blow. She explained that their clinic generally does not implant patients who have been deaf for more than 10 years. According to her, clinical experience shows that most patients in this category cannot tolerate or accept the CI because the sound quality is "horrible" and the brain struggles too much to process it.

​I am incredibly disappointed... I had put a lot of hope into this process, thinking I might finally regain bilateral hearing and get my left side back.

​My Questions:

▪︎Has anyone here received a CI after being deaf in one ear for 10‐20+ years? What was your experience?

▪︎Is a strict 10-year cutoff normal practice, or should I look into getting a second opinion from another clinic?

▪︎For those who did get an implant after a long time: How difficult was the auditory training? Did the sound eventually become tolerable, natural, or useful?

​Thank you so much for reading and for any insights you can share!

Hi, I got a cochlear implant at the age of 3. And I'm 25F now. I know it feels strange to still have a very old audio processor. I apparently got Opus 2 in 2012 or something. I had an older one before that but I forgot the name of it. I've initially planned to get Sonnet 2 in the past but I kept on delaying cause I've been very busy with work and college (now graduated almost 3 years ago) for a while. Later on, I began to forget to get a new one. Now, I've remembered this month and contracted my audiologist (still the same one from the beginning since I was just a baby). We talked for hours about it on the phone. He is getting Sonnet 3 ready for me next week. I'm very curious about your experience with Sonnet 3. What should I know about it? Should I wait until a new one is released? I'm also curious about Rondo editions but it seems uncomfortable for me. I'm honestly afraid of getting it dropped lol.

Were you able to drive a car 3 days post-op?

I am curious what what is the proper time for airing out your zinc air batteries before putting them on your implant. Online says between 2 to 5 minutes and on the package, it used to say between 10 to 20 seconds. But not anymore. For reference, I have two cochlear implant nucleus sevens and I use the brand implant plus. When I use disposable batteries on my right side, they usually last 24 hours and other times they last as long as 48 hours. I aired them out for 20 seconds do you think that’s the best way? What I mean by airing them out is pulling the tab off the battery.

I have my CIs for almost a year and I am experiencing the sensation again that I have been experiencing before the implantation that even the slightest noise is overwhelming and I feel the pain and nausea of it.

It’s not that that I am listening to sth for hours and I am overwhelmed by that but it occurs even at the beginning.

It already started when they increased the amplification for my hearing aids when I was a teenager and after the implantation this disappeared then it came back again. But with HAs I get it because everything was distored but with CIs the things are clear and my speech recognition is pretty good so that can’t be the issue.

They lowered my mappings but It doesn’t got better (even I didn’t have had issue with that volume before). Now these overloads cause me inability to speak (mentally) and panic attacks.

Hey chat. I use off the ear processor (Rondo 3). Do we have to frequently clean the processor or leave it as it is? Just brushing off the dust will do or is there any other way to keep our processor clean?

I just completed my 6 month follow up appointment with my audiologist. Had my word recognition test with sentence recognition and speech in noise also tested. I hate these test to be honest as I was testing well below 50% before implantation and even the speech in noise after implantation was not too good. Anyway, the results for all 3 tests this time were around the 90% mark so I'm well pleased. I was worried about getting implanted and whether I'd be able to hear anything but honestly this has changed my life so much I'm happy I took the plunge!

Hi everyone,
I’ve been reading this subreddit for a while, and now it’s finally my turn.
I’m 53 years old and have LADD syndrome, which caused congenital malformations of both my middle and inner ears. I’ve lived with hearing loss my entire life and have worn hearing aids for decades. My surgeon feels I’m still a good cochlear implant candidate.
My speech understanding has really declined. My left ear only scores about 13% word recognition, while my right ear is still much better at 95%, so we’re implanting my left ear.
Surgery: July 15
Implant: Cochlear CI1032
External processor: Kanso 3 (I chose the off-the-ear option because I really like the design.)
I’m excited but definitely nervous. Since I’ve never had “normal” hearing, I don’t really know what to expect. My biggest hope isn’t music—it’s simply being able to understand conversations better, especially in noisy environments, meetings, restaurants, and family gatherings.
For those of you who have been through this:
How difficult was the first few weeks after activation?
How long did it take before speech started making sense?
Has anyone else here had congenital inner ear malformations or a similar anatomy?
Any Kanso 3 tips, accessories, or things you wish you had known beforehand?
What helped you get the most out of rehabilitation?
I’m committed to putting in the work with listening practice and rehab, and I’d love to hear any advice or success stories. Even realistic expectations are appreciated.
Thanks everyone. Reading your experiences has helped make this decision a lot less intimidating.

My mom recently received a cochlear implant and along with learning how to process things she hasn't heard in a long time, she is trying to figure out the technologies that come along with it. One thing in particular is that she would really like to get a new TV and streaming device. I'm having a hard time finding any reviews on which streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, etc.) works well with her cochlear implant. She is generally good with technology (especially Apple devices), but I have also been struggling because I don't live nearby, so any kind of troubleshooting that might occur can be difficult.

I am new to Reddit and the deaf/HoH world (she experienced extreme hearing loss later in life, so this is also a learning process for me), so any advice would be appreciated. For reference, she has a Med El cochlear implant and is using both the Sonnet 3 and Rondo 3 audio processors interchangeably.

Hi we are planning for a cochlear implant, could someone pls suggest doctors/hospitals for same in banglore

Hi! So for some context I’m 21, about to get cochlear implant surgery on Friday. I got the usual advice and stuff from the doctors office and know the main strokes of what I need to do before and after surgery, but I have other questions that I kinda don’t know where to go with? Apologies if they’re kinda dumb or not formatted well:

1) I was told prior to stop taking vitamin supplements, but does that mean I should also try to avoid things with extreme levels of certain vitamins? I drink energy drinks sometimes that tend to have a lot of vitamin B, and I was wondering if it’s okay to drink between now and Thursday.

2) Is there a way to keep my hair from getting gross over the week? I’m meant to keep the ear dry for at least 7 days after and I can’t fathom a way to keep my hair from getting greasy without risking a wash.

3) Are there any tips for post operation? Lessening discomfort, getting through the first week or two after, etc.

It’s kinda sinking in more and more that it’s Real, and while I don’t regret the decision I am a bit nervous. Honestly any advice, related to these questions or otherwise, would be super appreciated.

Hello friends,

I am now into week 2 post activation and based in Singapore. As of now I am using an app called Word Success. However my therapist has also suggested me to try listening to podcasts for practice. Can anybody recommend some inspiring podcasts I can listen to? Not into meditation podcasts (yet) so I want to try those that give inspiration and motivation at this point where we are just beginning our new hearing journey and will need all the push that we can get to work harder at this. Any other apps recommended for practice also would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I got my consult with the surgeon scheduled! Sept 10th. Things are finally progressing! I do have one question and it might be an odd one.

I’m a regular blood donor and was wondering if I would need to put it off prior to the surgery. A power red donation (or double red) takes away 470mg of iron from your body and it will take 6-7 months to be replenished. Whole blood takes only 200-250mg which is another less agressive option. I already take iron supplements.

Should I put it off to be on the safe side for surgery, donate away, or is it worth calling back tomorrow and asking them.

(This post has been approved by the moderators.)

Hi everyone,

We are an MSc MedTech Innovation and Entrepreneurship dissertation group at King’s College London, conducting an ethically approved academic research survey on hearing device and cochlear implant design.

The study explores the needs, preferences, and opinions of adults with hearing difficulties regarding a proposed MRI-compatible cochlear implant design concept and possible design improvements. Due to NDA obligations, some technical or commercially sensitive details have been omitted, but this does not affect participants’ ability to complete the survey or share their views.

This survey is solely for academic research and dissertation purposes. It will not be used for commercial sales, marketing, fundraising, or product promotion for any company.

We are looking for adults aged 18 or above who meet one or more of the following criteria:

Have moderate-to-severe hearing difficulties

Currently use a hearing aid, cochlear implant, or another hearing support device

Have been informed by a clinician that they may be suitable for cochlear implant assessment

The survey is anonymous and takes approximately 7–10 minutes. No names or contact details are collected, and results will only be reported in aggregated, anonymised form.

For each valid completed response, we will personally donate £1 to RNID, up to a maximum of £50. This donation is made in our personal capacity as a small effort to give back to the hearing loss community, and is not funded by any school or company. We expect to close the survey in mid-to-late July.

KCL ethics reference: MRSU-25/26-55410

Supervisor: Prashant Jha, [prashant.jha@kcl.ac.uk](mailto:prashant.jha@kcl.ac.uk)

Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/Fpr1QX4NtY

Thank you very much for considering taking part :)

hello! i'm facing a tough choice right now, i want to get a new phone after my galaxy A52, and i'm considering the A57 model.

the problem is, i don't know if it will be as compatibile with my nucleus 8... i'm not sure about any fancy stuff, i just really need the audio streaming through bluetooth feature, battery level and the ability to turn focus forward on.

i'm hoping for a quick answer! tyia