The Cochlear Implant CenterImplant ProceduresStudy Results Printer Friendly Page

Although no cochlear implant can restore normal hearing, the adult clinical trials of the Nucleus® 24 indicate that almost one third of the recipients achieved 80% or higher sentence recognition. Almost all adult Nucleus® 24 users demonstrated significant improvement in word and sentence recognition, both in quiet and in noise, within three months compared to their abilities with hearing aids. At three months after implantation, approximately half of the recipients demonstrated 70% recognition of words in sentences over long-distance telephone lines. Since performance with an implant improves over time, such high levels of speech understanding within a short time following implantation indicate promising long-term results.

Important to Note: The above data refers to post-lingually deafened adults who have heard in the past.

Children

Children in the Nucleus® clinical study also showed significant gains in sound awareness and speech understanding as reported by their parents. After six months of use, the majority of children responded to their names in quiet and spontaneously recognized common sounds in the classroom. Approximately half the children also responded to their names in noise. For older children whose speech perception abilities could be tested, more than one-third showed significant improvement on all four open-set word recognition tests administered. Previous experience with children has shown that most children implanted with a Nucleus® cochlear implant continue to improve for several years after implantation. These results, after six months of implant use, are impressive.

What Can I Expect?

How much will you really hear after the implant? The answer varies. Many of our patients report enjoying pleasurable sounds such as the cooing of babies and the rustling of leaves. They feel safer now that they can detect the wail of a siren and the shriek of a fire alarm. Their lives have been simplified because they recognize the beep of the microwave and the buzz of the clothes dryer. They definitely hear. In fact many of our patients experience improved communication when at a dinner party, when driving in a car with others and when ordering at a restaurant. Others who enjoyed music prior to being implanted, reported that the implant has restored their ability to listen to and enjoy music. Most of our patients felt that the quality of their lives has been improved after being implanted.

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