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The Department of Head and Neck SurgeryCochlear Implant Program |
What is a Cochlear Implant?
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and helps him or her to understand speech.
Candidates
UCLA determines implant candidacy on an individual basis and takes into account a person's hearing history, cause of hearing loss, amount of residual hearing, speech recognition ability, health status, and family commitment to aural habilitation/rehabilitation. The three main groups of people to receive implants are post-lingually deaf adults, pre-lingually deaf children and post-lingually hearing-impaired people whose hearing loss is usually due to disease. Because of cochlear implantation is a rather delicate and challenging procedure patients should consider the experience and knowledge of the medical staff and clinical associates when selecting a cochlear implant center.
For more information, please visit the Cochlear Implant Program page on the Department of Head and Neck Surgery website.
(310) 206-6688 Appointment, information and referral
Website
www.HeadandNeckSurgery.ucla.edu
| Physician | Specialty |
|---|---|
| Gopen, Quinton MD | Otolaryngology |
| Ishiyama, Akira MD | Otolaryngology |
