Cochlear
Implant
Sometimes called a "bionic ear," the cochlear implant
offers the hope of regaining or restoring the ability to sense sound for
some people who have experienced significant hearing loss.
Hearing
Evaluation in Children
In the first few years of life, hearing
is a critical part of kids' social, emotional, and cognitive
development. Even a mild or partial hearing loss can affect a child's
ability to speak and understand language.
Delayed
Speech and Language Development
Knowing what's "normal" and
what's not in speech and language development can help you figure out if
you should be concerned or if your child is right on schedule.
What
is Hearing Loss?
Hearing
loss happens when there is a problem with one or more parts of the ear
or ears. Someone who has hearing loss may be able to hear some sounds or
nothing at all.
Sophie’s
“new ear” – Four-year-old Greer girl to receive Upstate’s first
cochlear implant
At 15 months, Sophie Garris was diagnosed with
progressive hearing loss. Now four, she hopes to get a “new ear” on
Thursday thanks to the Upstate’s first pediatric cochlear implant
surgery.
For her parents, the availability of the surgery and the
required intensive follow-up so close to home is a godsend.
“It’s
just such a gift to be able to do this in Greenville,” said Sophie’s
parents, John and Lesli Garris. Once the surgery itself is done,
patients go through a month-long series of weekly programming sessions
lasting several hours each.
“This is just what the Upstate needs.
They are filling a void that no one else fills in this area. Weekly
doctors’ visits with a two-hour commute each way are very difficult for
families who have to juggle child care, work and medical needs,” said
Mrs. Garris. “I want to help other parents, I want to help them know the
extraordinary resources available in their own back yards.”
The
surgery is the result of collaboration between the Children’s Hospital
of the Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, Greenville
Ear, Nose and Throat Associates and one of the nation’s foremost
otologist-neurotologists, Dr. John T. McElveen Jr. Kidnetics pediatric
therapies of the Children’s Hospital is also available to support speech
and language therapy.
Cochlear implants offer a hearing
alternative when hearing aids are no longer effective, said Dr.
McElveen. Under the right circumstances, they can restore conversational
hearing.
“Cochlear implants are probably some of the most
gratifying surgeries I do,” said Dr. McElveen. “To see the expressions
of adults and children when the implant is programmed and activated is
very heart warming. I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to expand the GHS
program to include children.”
Dr. McElveen, who is a
board-certified surgeon in both otolaryngology and neurotology,
performed GHS’ first multi-channel adult cochlear implant surgeries in
October 2007. GHS Children’s Hospital in conjunction with Dr. McElveen’s
cochlear implant audiologist, Erin Blackburn, has developed a pediatric
support program that enabled Dr. McElveen to expand his Greenville
practice to include pediatric cases.
Dr. McElveen is one of only
350 surgeons in the nation who limit their practice exclusively to ear
surgery. He has performed more than 600 cochlear implants in adults and
children.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for deaf and hard of
hearing children to reach their full potential by speaking and
understanding language,” said Dr. William Schmidt, medical director of
Children’s Hospital. “Better yet, all of this will happen in an
environment created especially for children.” Several more pediatric
cases are planned in the near future.
A cochlear implant receives
sound from the outside environment, processes it and sends small
electric currents to the snail-shaped structure in the inner ear called
the cochlea. The electric currents stimulate the neural elements in the
cochlea, activating the auditory nerve, which then sends a signal to
the brain. “The cochlea is in some ways like a piano, with the high
pitched tones at the bottom and low pitched tones at the top.” said Dr.
McElveen. “By electrically stimulating different parts of the cochlea,
we are able to simulate sound.” The brain learns to recognize this
signal and the person experiences this as hearing.
Sophie, a
vivacious red-haired cutie, simply calls it her “new ear.”"
Sophie
began wearing hearing aids at age 15 months and has since undergone
extensive speech and hearing therapy. “We were stunned – we hadn’t even
thought that hearing loss was a possibility,” said Mrs. Garris.
“Everything has been a process and really hard, but she’s worked hard at
it. She’s a fighter. But every ounce of hearing affects speech so much.
Aiding is not the same because you lose some of the sounds.”
The
situation became critical when the hearing loss in the left ear became
so profound that, even aided, most sounds couldn’t be differentiated.
What was initially diagnosed as mild to medium hearing loss has now
progressed to almost total deafness in her left ear. The right ear can
still benefit from its hearing aid, but the hearing loss is projected to
deteriorate there as well.
It is estimated that one out of 1000
infants are born totally deaf and up to 6 per 1000 have a significant
sensorineural hearing loss. The universal newborn auditory screenings
being performed in GHS facilities can detect hearing loss within the
first 24 hours of life. “Although Sophie passed all of her early hearing
tests, some types of hearing loss are progressive, getting worse with
time” said Dr. McElveen.
“Parents need to be aware of this as a
potential problem,” said Mrs. Garris. “If they suspect their child is
not speaking, babbling or hitting their milestones, they should talk
with their doctor right away. The sooner that child is hearing, the
sooner that child can be talking.”
“Whether for adults or
children, this is a terrific benefit to our patients, who in the past
had to be referred to physicians in the Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston
or other tertiary care centers,” said Dr. Michael Cooter, with
Greenville ENT.
Each patient is unique, and sound acquisition can
vary widely, even with extensive therapy. Sophie’s cochlear implant is
scheduled to be activated in December. The Garris’ hope is that Sophie
is able to hear the family’s musical ornaments by Christmas -- and to
start kindergarten in two years, indistinguishable from the rest of her
tiny cohorts.
“Sophie is a bundle of energy and a very determined
child,” said her mother. “We feel this will help her cope with any
obstacles that she might encounter. Our prayer is that this surgery will
allow her to talk just like any other kid, hear a sound as small as a
whisper and be able to read and communicate with her sisters, Gracie and
Cassie, as they grow together.”
Dr. John T. McElveen has
performed more than 600 cochlear implants in adults and children. Click here to
visit Dr. McElveen's site.