The specialists at the ENT Clinic at UMHAT “St. Marina” - Varna have performed the first cochlear implant procedures. These surgeries became a fact in the period 7-9 July and are part of the comprehensive hearing prosthetic programme for patients. They were accomplished under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Zdenek Chada – head of the Clinic of Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology in Prague (the Czech Republic), and Prof. Dr. Nikolay Sapundzhiev – head of the Clinic at UMHAT “St. Marina” - Varna. The team also included Dr. Genova, PhD, Dr. Milcheva, Dr. Kerimov, Dr. Nikiforova, PhD, Dr. Davidov, PhD, Dr. Spasova, PhD and Dr. Nikova. Five successful cochlear implant surgeries in one child and four adult patients have been accomplished over a short period of time.
The first patients undergoing these surgical interventions are now in the post-op recovery period. They will go through individual adjustment of the cochlear implant and an auditory rehabilitation programme.
Cochlear implant surgery is one of the greatest achievements of modern Otology. The microelectronic device stimulates auditory perception. The sounds are picked up by a microphone on the external part, turned into an electrical signal that is converted from a speech processor to the implant, and it sends a combination of electrical impulses to the electrode in the cochlea. The auditory nerve picks up these impulses and sends them to the brain, which interprets them.
Figuratively speaking, the cochlear implant bypasses the damaged areas of the ear to transmit the sound impulses directly to the auditory nerve and the brain, unlike hearing aids that only amplify the sound. These devices also improve the quality of life when hearing aids are no longer useful in patients with very severe hearing loss.
Cochlear implants are placed to restore hearing in people with severe acquired hearing loss and in children with congenital deafness and ear malformations from the age of one year.
The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) covers the cost of the cochlear implant system upon the initial placement.
