 Doctors at performing the implant |
Marking a milestone in hearing healthcare, the first ever simultaneous bilateral cochlear nucleus freedom series implant surgery was successfully performed at the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital recently. The team of doctors led by Dr. Sanjeewani Rupasinghe, Consultant ENT Surgeon of the Sri Jayewardenepura General hospital, performed the surgery on a 2 ½ year old child, in early February. The surgical procedure implanted the Cochlear Nucleus freedom contour advance with wireless N7 speech processor, which is the most technologically advanced device available in the world at present. The processor was then switched on, on the 24 February at the Wickramarachchi Hearing Institute in Nugegoda, to coincide with the World Cochlear Implantation day that fell on 25 February.
The Cochlear implant is an established, effective and long-term solution for people with moderate to profound hearing loss. It replaces the function of a damaged inner ear, providing sound signals to the brain, as opposed to the function of a hearing aid, which only makes the sound louder. It benefits those who have moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears or those who receive less or no benefit from hearing aids.
In light of all that has happened over the past year, access to hearing and hearing healthcare is more important now than ever. Hearing connects people, and access to sound for those with hearing loss is important for connection as we continue to socially distance ourselves to mitigate the COVID 19 virus. As such, this surgery marks the first step towards creating a safe environment to those with hearing imparity.
The pandemic conditions under which the successful first procedure was conducted, reinstates the qualitative standards that the local healthcare system has, as one of the most affordable and best services in the Asian region.
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