Whether you suffer from acute or progressive hearing loss or need to replace your old hearing system - here you will find valuable medical information as well as Austria-wide institutions that guarantee rapid and reliable diagnosis and care and provide you with the best possible support.

Information on how hearing works and how hearing loss occurs can be found in detail on the MED-EL website. Among other things, you will find a graphic representation that illustrates the individual steps of hearing. The different types of hearing loss are also explained.

From suspicion to diagnosis

Hearing disorders, especially one-sided ones, unless they occur acutely due to illness or accident, develop gradually, so that they are often only recognized and treated very late. Do you find that you can no longer follow the professor in the lecture hall or take part in conversations at lunch with a colleague?

Further steps to experts

If this is the case, your path should lead you straight to a specialist. Timely hearing care is extremely important for your future career.
Your family doctor will therefore send you to an ENT specialist in private practice or even to an ENT clinic near you, who will order further important examinations to make a final diagnosis.

Hearing implant systems

If it turns out that the degree or type of hearing impairment does not permit fitting with a conventional hearing aid, you can find out here about the possibility of an implantable hearing system aimed at people with profound hearing loss.

The hearing solutions used to treat hearing loss are as varied as the types of hearing loss. You can find a good insight into the latest hearing solutions here:

Information on the reliability of MED-EL implant systems can be found here:
https://www.medel.com/de-at/hearing-solutions/cochlear-implants/reliability

Hearing care on both sides

Experts explain to us conclusively why nature gives us two ears, that this is no coincidence and what we miss with only one ear.
Bilateral cochlear implantation or implantation of the deaf ear in the case of unilateral deafness or as a supplement to the hearing aid in the other ear enables localization, equally good hearing and comprehension from all directions and thus a balanced and three-dimensional auditory impression as well as improved speech comprehension in noisy environments. As everything is heard from two sides, you can also perceive the sound louder. These effects make it "easier" to hear and you will not tire so quickly during difficult conversations or group discussions. In addition, the central auditory system (brain) is stimulated on both sides. Last but not least, the implant on the second side provides a backup system in case the batteries run out or a cable of the audio processor breaks.

All in all, it can be said that bilateral implantation - and, by analogy, implantation of the deaf side - offers the opportunity for optimal hearing and speech development as well as greater safety in everyday situations.

Necessary preliminary examinations

After a consultation and various audiological examinations at your implantation clinic, if they all lead to the decision for a cochlear implant, an X-ray and/or computer tomography (CT) scan will follow, as well as a special examination of the function of the auditory nerve, which is a basic prerequisite for successful implantation.
In the case of an implant replacement, a CT scan will also be necessary to determine the exact position of the old implant and thus keep the operation time as short as possible.

Measures before the surgery

• Cochlear implants are performed throughout Austria in numerous ENT clinics You will receive optimal surgical and therapeutic care in all of these facilities, so you can choose the clinic you trust and which is closest to you.
• A cold could lead to a postponement of the surgery date. As these dates are often set well in advance, you should make sure that you take it easy for a week or two beforehand and avoid situations that could lead to a cold as much as possible.
• Please check the list of medications you may be taking regularly with your family doctor. Some preparations are problematic in connection with an operation due to their ingredients and must be discontinued or adjusted in good time beforehand.
• A comprehensive internal examination is a standard procedure before every operation and ensures a complication-free operation as well as recovery.
• If you are already fitted with a CI or hearing aid in the other ear, it is helpful to give the device to the responsible nursing staff shortly before the operation so that you can access it in the recovery room immediately after the operation. If you are unable to hear at all, it makes sense for the staff to be informed of this in good time and to communicate with you accordingly. The staff in CI clinics are usually perfectly coordinated and trained anyway.

The surgery

You may be excited and worried. However, the decades of experience of the clinicians and technicians can allay your fears. In contrast to a tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils), for example, the procedure is performed in a comparatively harmless area and is now a routine procedure in ENT surgery.
Today, the operation is usually minimally invasive (a small incision directly behind the ear), takes between one and two hours and requires a hospital stay for just a few days, even if both ears are treated at the same time, which is common nowadays.

During implantation, a receiver coil is fixed in the skull bone behind the ear and an electrode array is inserted into the cochlea through a small opening, the so-called round window. An intraoperative test by the technician present ensures that you react positively to the initial stimulation of the implant.

After the surgery

The medical staff in the recovery room will take care of you immediately after the operation and should be informed about your hearing impairment.

Thanks to the now very small incision, the pain after the operation will not last long or be too great. Younger patients in particular also recover much faster today, as the duration of anesthesia has been significantly shortened thanks to years of further development in surgical technology.

The more advanced the age of the patient, the more often dizziness may occur in the first few days after the operation. This is harmless in itself and therefore possible, as the operation is performed close to your vestibular system. If this is the case, let the hospital staff know.

When you are discharged from hospital, the medical and nursing staff will give you a few tips to take home with you, which should always be followed. These include

• Regular intake of any necessary medication (antibiotics, painkillers, etc.)
• No hair wash until the suture is removed (the suture must remain dry)
• General rest in the first few weeks until the initial fitting

First hearing impressions with the implant system

The so-called initial fitting takes place at the earliest after the sutures have been removed (around ten days after the operation), but no later than the fourth postoperative week. You will receive the outer part of the implant, the so-called "audio processor", which behind the auricle or as Button processor (slightly above) is worn. The system can only be activated with it. Until this day, the ear is still deaf after the operation. The audio processor is switched on and adjusted. From now on, audio signals can be transmitted to the implant and heard. A great and unforgettable moment for you and your loved ones!

Tip: Take someone with you to the first few appointments! A partner, friend or relative can be a great support, especially in the initial phase, and offer security in what may be an exciting situation for you.

If a radiological examination is necessary after the hearing implant fitting for various reasons, this is nothing to worry about for MED-EL system users.

While X-ray examinations, computer tomography (CT), sonography (ultrasound) or scintigraphy can be carried out without special preparation and without hesitation, the field strength (Tesla) used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) must be taken into account. In clinical applications, field strengths of 1.0 or 1.5 Tesla are common, sometimes even 3.0 Tesla. Only in research are devices with even higher magnetic forces used.
With the exception of the previously used VORP 502 middle ear implants, all MED-EL hearing implants are MR-compatible up to 1.5 Tesla, the current SYNCHRONY implants with the special magnet insert even up to 3.0 Tesla.

Users of MED-EL implants have only reported an unpleasant feeling in the MRI in rare cases; MED-EL users have not yet experienced any serious complications as a result of an MRI.
In the event of an MR examination, the examining specialist should be informed about the implant when the appointment is made so that there is enough time before the examination date for any queries with the manufacturer of the implant. MED-EL provides detailed and up-to-date information on the compatibility of its implants with medical procedures at http://www.medel.com/isi/.