About the risks of cochlear implant treatment

Possible risks associated with cochlear implantation include medical risks during and after the operation and technical risks that may arise when wearing the system.

Risks associated with surgery

The provision of a cochlear implant requires a surgery. Even though ENT surgery, after decades of practice, became a routine procedure in this field and is performed in a relatively safe part of the skull, it can still bring some risks. The anesthesiologist in charge will provide extensive information about these risks before the procedure.

The most common postoperative risks include tinnitus and dizziness in the first days after the procedure. It can very rarely come to the irritation of the skin wound, mainly due to ignoring the medical recommendations, such as washing the hair too early or removing the wound bandage. Thus, it is strongly recommended to get detailed information at the clinic about what measures are necessary before and after the surgery in order to minimize risks and avoid any unpleasant after-effects.

Implants and diagnostic imaging

Some CI users have concerns about the limitations and health risks connected to imaging diagnostics. However, when medical professionals need to get a picture of the inner life of a CI user for specific reasons, they are well prepared for this:

All imaging procedures can be performed and are generally safe. The only thing to consider is the field strength of the MRI when this examination is necessary. All MED-EL hearing implants are MRI safe up to 1.5 Tesla, while SYNCHRONY implants are safe even up to 3 Tesla! The special design of the magnet in SYNCHRONY makes this possible. Further information on this:Cochlear implants and MRI examination

Pain while wearing the audio processor

As the implant sits completely under the skin, it is connected to the speech processor worn on the outside by a magnet in the transmitter coil. If the skin in this area is very thick or if you have particularly thick scalp hair, you will usually need a stronger magnet to ensure that the transmitter coil holds securely to the head. In rare cases, this can lead to irritation of the scalp - this is not dangerous, but can cause discomfort. However, this problem can always be solved together with the technical staff in charge.

Implant damage due to mechanical influence

Even if the implant is firmly fixed under the skin in the skull bone, it can be damaged by severe external mechanical impacts, such as knocks, falls or blows, so that it has to be surgically replaced in the worst, but thankfully very rare, case. Of course, a serious accident cannot always be prevented, but arbitrarily induced scenarios, such as some sports, can be deliberately avoided.

Finally, we can conclude that the fitting of a hearing implant is a routine ENT medical procedure and the risks can be classified as normal as in all necessary surguries. Fortunately, negative medical or technical consequences are extremely rare and can be prevented, if the medical measures are followed and the procedure is handled correctly.

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