Clinic: During the initial clinic a medical consultation is completed by the Consultant ENT Surgeon.
Every person under assessment for a Cochlear Implant will be seen in clinic by one of the ENT consultant surgeons. Here you will discuss further what is involved in have a Cochlear Implant, and have an opportunity to discuss the operation. The consultant will likely want to send you for more tests as part of the assessment, this may include a balance assessment, blood tests or a scan of the inner ears: this would all be discussed with you in clinic.
Decision to Continue: An initial decision is made by the team about whether a cochlear implant will be of benefit to the adult. If a cochlear implant is not the right way to proceed for the adult then the reasons are given and are discussed fully with them at a clinic appointment with the Consultant ENT Surgeon. The referrer is informed of the outcome of the assessment. If a decision is made to continue with assessment the adult will need to attend further appointments as outlined below:
Scan: A scan is carried out in Bradford which is used to show the structure of the inner ear.
Bloods & ECG
Vestibular Assessment
Operation The hospital stay is normally one to two nights. The operation lasts 1.5 to 2 hours and is usually under general anaesthetic. It is advised that the adult has two weeks off work following the surgery.
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