Cochlear implant program at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital
If your child has been diagnosed with hearing loss and you are deciding on a care plan, talk with an experienced audiologist at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. We provide advanced treatment options, including hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids and cochlear implants. Your child will benefit from having a multidisciplinary care team of pediatric otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat doctors), audiologists, speech therapists and other specialists. We work together to diagnose, manage and treat hearing conditions, including partial and complete hearing loss.
Advanced care for hearing conditions
At Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, we help you set family-centered communication goals and educate you on all of your child’s communication options. Your child’s care may include cochlear implants if they have significant hearing loss and hearing aids do not provide enough benefit. If your child needs a cochlear implant, you are in the right place with a team of specialists who provide the full range of care – from evaluation to surgery and auditory rehabilitation therapy. Our goal is to help your child and family overcome hearing differences and be able to communicate.
What is a cochlear implant?
A cochlear implant is a small electrode that is placed in the inner ear (cochlea), bypassing the damaged hearing organ and directly stimulating the hearing nerves. The processor, which is worn on the outside, converts sound waves into electrical signals that go to the hearing nerve. The electrical signals are then sent to your child's brain where they are recognized as sound.
Comprehensive care for children with cochlear implants
If your child needs a cochlear implant, it will be surgically placed inside the inner ear (cochlea). General anesthesia is used, and your child will sleep through the procedure. Some children go home the same day the surgery is performed while others may spend the night if they have associated medical conditions. We take the time to explain what to expect after surgery and how to care for your child at home. Your child’s care team also helps coordinate your child’s follow-up care and connects you with other specialists such as speech-language pathologists (speech therapists).
Adjusting to hearing with a cochlear implant can take time. During follow-up visits, we help your child adapt to the cochlear implant and fit the device during adjustment appointments.
Assistive listening devices
We offer information about how assistive listening devices, such as telephone amplifiers, microphones and TV listening devices, may help improve your child's quality of life.