Cochlear Implant surgery in Iran

Hearing sounds is a great gift by God. However, some people have deficiency in this sense with severe hearing loss and get limited benefits from using hearing aids. The good news for those people is that cochlear implant is still an option for them. But the expensive cost of the surgery and/or the long waiting list in their countries might be an obstacle of getting cochlear implant. If you are or if you have a child in such a condition, we urge you to consider getting affordable yet high quality cochlear implant in Iran with zero waiting time. Please keep reading to find out more about this surgery and why to opt for it in Iran.

What is cochlear implant and how does it work?

A cochlear implant is an electronic device that is employed to restore hearing for people having moderate to severe hearing loss caused by inner-ear damage. Contrary to traditional hearing aids that amplify sounds, a cochlear implant is used to capture the sound signals, process them and deliver them directly to the hearing nerve to be interpreted in the brain of the patient.

A cochlear implant is composed of two parts. An external part that contains the microphone to receive the sound signals from the environment and process them. This device is placed behind the ear, and some types of it can be partially covered by the hair.

This sound processor transmits the processed signal to the implanted receiver under the skin that sends these signals to implanted electrodes in the inner ear.

Why to opt for cochlear implant in Iran?

Iran is currently the top country in Asia and one the best countries in the world in delivering medical treatments and surgeries in the specialty of Ear, Nose and Throat.

Iran is a pioneer country in Asia in terms of cochlear implant surgery, where performing cochlear implant surgery in Iran dates back to 1992. Top rated otologists and neuro-otologists are increasingly performing cochlear implant surgery in Iran every year.

Cochlear implant surgery is being performed in Iran using the world’s cutting-edge technologies and by employing the best implants to ensure the effectiveness of the surgery as far as possible. Currently, there are 11 cochlear implant centers in Iran, 4 of which are in Tehran.

The low cost of the cochlear implant surgery in Iran is also an encouraging factor that makes many patients from all over the world choose to opt to cochlear implant surgery in Iran.

Why to undergo cochlear implant surgery with Dr. Saeedi?

Dr. Massomeh Saeedi is a renowned surgeon in the field of ENT, head and neck surgeries with more than 12 years of experience in the ENT specialty after receiving her fellowship in ENT, in which she was ranked first in the country. Dr. Saeedi is also an Otology and Neuro-otology board certified surgeon, making her eligible for performing cochlear implant surgery.

To enhance her medical knowledge, she participated in various international courses in France, Germany, South Korea, Portugal, Malaysia, Poland, and so on. In April 2008, and only at the age of 33, she received an associate professorship in ENT in Baqiyatallah University, and continued her work as the university’s ENT department assistant.

During these years of professional and academic experience, she has performed more than 5000 complex and heavy surgeries on the ear, throat and nose, head and neck patients from around the world, including numerous cochlear implant surgeries, and conducted many research in this field.

Cost of cochlear implant surgery in Iran with Dr. Saeedi

While many factors contribute to the final cost of a cochlear implant surgery, the cost of a cochlear implant surgery in the USA ranges between $30,000 and $50,000. This is while the cost of a cochlear implant surgery in Iran with Dr. Saeedi is only a fraction of what would be paid for the same procedure in other developed countries, making this surgery completely affordable for most of the patients. That is why many patients from the neighboring countries and even the Western countries travel to Iran to benefit from the affordable prices of cochlear implant surgeries along with the proficiency of Dr. Saeedi in performing it.

Who is eligible for cochlear implant?

A cochlear implant is usually beneficial for children or adults who have:

• Moderate to severe hearing loss caused by a damage in the inner ear
• Difficulty understanding speech in usual situations even when using hearing aids
• Realistic expectations and good understanding of what cochlear implants can and cannot do
• No medical or health situations that increase the risks of cochlear implants

That said, an audiologist and an ENT surgeon are those to determine whether cochlear implant suits you. Please contact us now to have a specialized free online consultation about cochlear implant in Iran with Dr. Saeedi.

Cochlear implant preparation

The first preparation step for cochlear implant is a full assessment of the ear and the hearing nerve by an ENT surgeon. When the surgeon determines that the surgery is a better choice than traditional hearing aids, the patient is informed and vaccinated against meningitis in case he/she consents to undergo the surgery. The patient is instructed to stop taking some medications and complements before the surgery. Since the cochlear implant surgery is done under general anesthesia, the patient needs to stop eating and drinking at least 12 hours before the surgery.

Cochlear implant surgery: How is it done?

The surgery is done under general anesthesia and it usually takes between 3 to 4 hours to be done. After putting the patient asleep, a small incision is made behind the ear to form a groove in the skull bone in which the internal device will be settled.

A small hole is then made in the cochlea, through which the electrodes of the internal device is inserted. After fixing the internal device in its place under the skin, the incision is stitched.

Cochlear implant surgery recovery: What to expect?

Most patients need to stay in the hospital for one or two nights after the surgery. Your surgical area is likely to be covered by a bandage and you will be given instructions on how to take care about it. A follow-up visit to the doctor is needed to check the situation and remove the stitches.

During the hospital stay, you will be given antibiotics to minimize the risk of infection, and the surgeon will prescribe oral antibiotics to take it at home.

The disturbance in the inner ear caused by inserting the implant might make the patient feel dizzy and unbalanced just after the surgery. However, this feeling can be reduced and controlled by medicines. This feeling will diminish within a few days.

Some patients might experience a noise in the ears called tinnitus. This feeling also fades away within a few days and sometimes it disappears completely when the cochlear implant is turned on.

The activation of the cochlear implant involves adjusting the sound processor such that it fits your situation, checking the parts of the cochlear implant, determining what sound you hear, and informing you on how to use the device and take care of it.

Rehabilitation after getting cochlear implants

While cochlear implant helps you hear sounds, time and training are needed to learn how to understand the sounds you hear, because understanding what you hear takes place in the brain. However, the rehabilitation process after cochlear implant surgery differs for adults and children.

Children or babies who never heard before need to develop a language system after activating the newly implanted cochlear, and the rehabilitation process starts shortly after activating the cochlear implant. One-year rehabilitation program is required for children with an average of one session weekly.

Adults with an established language system need to link meaning to the new signals they hear. So after the patient gets used on hearing with the cochlear implant, the rehabilitation consultation session may be scheduled about a month after the surgery. Based on the results of the consultation, a tailored rehabilitation program is considered for each case individually.

Cochlear implant pros and cons

Every surgery and treatment has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, the beneficial results of a successful cochlear implant surgery over-weigh its potential risks, complications and disadvantages.

Benefits of cochlear implants

The main and obvious benefit of cochlear implant surgery is hearing improvement without the need for other visual perception cues like reading lips. However, this in turn plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life of the patients by providing them with more independence and by improving speech quality and maximizing future learning and career opportunities especially when performing cochlear implant surgery for children and teenagers.

Another notable advantage of having cochlear implants is providing patients with more safety in their life, where cochlear implants enable patients to hear sounds that express potential dangers or alerts and prevent them.

Risks and complications of cochlear implants

Every surgery is associated with some risks and complications, and cochlear implant surgery is no exception. The potential risks of cochlear implant surgery include reaction toward anesthesia, infection, the possibility to destroy hearing, experiencing hearing distortion as the implant struggles to process information.

Other cons of cochlear implant include the need for maintenance (such as changing batteries or fixing wiring) and the restriction of some childhood activities for protecting the device from damage when performing the cochlear implant surgery on children.

It is crucial to understand that cochlear implant surgery is not a cure for deafness. Some parents choose this surgery for their child hoping that he/she will be able in future to hear sounds without other hearing aids while the truth is that while cochlear implant provide the child or baby with access to sound, it does not cure deafness.

Frequently asked questions about cochlear implants

Is cochlear implant safe?

Cochlear implant surgery is not dangerous, but it is not free of risks. The risks and complication may include infection, bleeding, anesthesia side effects, nerve damage, balance problems, tinnitus, fluid leakage around the brain and meningitis.

However, these risks are minimized when choosing the right surgeon and having the surgery done in a modern well-equipped hospital.

Are cochlear implants removable?

The inner part of cochlear implant is placed under the skin, making it irremovable without another surgery. This is while the external parts are easily removable.

Are cochlear implants worth it?

Deciding to have a surgical operation is usually a tough task that includes weighing the advantages and disadvantage. In the case of cochlear implant surgery, the quality of life is highly improved by restoring the ability to hear sounds (for adults who experience hearing loss) or by hearing sounds for the first time and eliminating disability for children who are congenitally deaf. When this improvement in the quality of life is weighed against the risks and complications of the surgery, many may decide that going for cochlear implants is really worth is.

Are cochlear implants visible?

Evidently, the inner parts of cochlear implant are not visible as they are placed under the skin. However, the external part is placed behind the ear, making it partially visible because it can only be partially hidden by the hair.

Can cochlear implants cause migraines?

This side effect is quite rare, and there is no conclusive evidence that relates headache with undergoing cochlear implant surgery.

Are cochlear implants permanent?

Cochlear implants are meant to last lifetime. However, it should be replaced surgically if it is damaged.

Is cochlear implant reversible?

Since the inner parts of cochlear implant are surgically placed underneath the skin and connected to the hearing nerve, it cannot be easily reversed. If it would be reversed, this requires another surgery to remove the cochlear implant.