MUG otolaryngologists succeed once again

20.12.2013

On December 18th 2013, the MUG Department of Otolaryngology headed by prof. Czesław Stankiewicz performed a cochlear implant procedure (using a Nucleus Contour Advance 24 RE5) for the second time. This procedure was conducted as part of the complete deafness treatment program in adults. The patient was a 69 year old female with bilateral deafness (0% of speech comprehension), hypertension and diabetic microangiopathy. The successful operation was performed by the Cochlear Implant Team at the Department, headed by prof. Jerzy Kuczkowski and consisting of: dr Wojciech Sierszeń, dr Tomasz Przewoźny, lek. Andrzej Molisz, lek. Karolina Markiet, dr hab. Edyta Szurowska as well as speech-language therapists and psychologists from the Gdańsk Center for the Diagnosis & Rehabilitation of Children & Youth with Hearing Impairment (part of the Polish Association of the Deaf). The indications for a cochlear implant in this patient were bilateral deafness and lack of improvement with traditional hearing aids.

The purpose of the operation was to attaching a 22-channel electrode to the scalae of the patient’s cochlea. A cochlear implant is an electronic device that replaces the patient’s damaged hearing organ, the cochlea. The role of the implant is to electrically stimulate the cochlear nerve endings. The CI System (Cochlear Implant) consists of the implanted part (receiver and electric stimulator with electrodes) and external part (speech processor and antenna). 4 weeks after the surgery, the speech processor is connected and the patient begins rehabilitation. The operation was observed by doctors from the Department and a team of biomedical engineers from the Medicus company.