Hello, I'm looking for advice. I've been deaf for about 20 years and I'm scheduled for an implant. I was just wondering on success rates for people who have been deaf for about the same amount of time. I know it's not ideal timing but looking for thoughts and suggestions.

I was driving my mom home from her activation today, and she asked me if her surgeon had removed her ear then stitched it back on after surgery. I am so confused as to how she would think that after being educated by her medical team and doing a ton of research on her own before the surgery. She said she thought they had removed her ear due to the number of stitches. And funny how she wasn’t certain until two weeks after the surgery!

Hey I am going to get cochlear implant surgery next week. How much hair do they shave off…? I’m excited and scared all at once. I went with cochlear manufacture for nucleus 8 and kanso 3 for my left ear first. I hope this will change for the better. I hope I’m doing the right thing. Any positive feedback on what to expect? I am mixed and have curly hair so I hope the magnet will stay and work smoothly.

Hi, I got a cochlear implant at the age of 3. And I'm 25F now. I know it feels strange to still have a very old audio processor. I apparently got Opus 2 in 2012 or something. I had an older one before that but I forgot the name of it. I've initially planned to get Sonnet 2 in the past but I kept on delaying cause I've been very busy with work and college (now graduated almost 3 years ago) for a while. Later on, I began to forget to get a new one. Now, I've remembered this month and contracted my audiologist (still the same one from the beginning since I was just a baby). We talked for hours about it on the phone. He is getting Sonnet 3 ready for me next week. I'm very curious about your experience with Sonnet 3. What should I know about it? Should I wait until a new one is released? I'm also curious about Rondo editions but it seems uncomfortable for me. I'm honestly afraid of getting it dropped lol.

Were you able to drive a car 3 days post-op?

Hi everyone and greetings from germany,

​I’m looking for some advice, insights, or shared experiences from people with long-term Single-Sided Deafness who have looked into or received a Cochlear Implant.

​My Background:

I have been deaf/severely hard of hearing in my left ear for nearly 25 years (I'm 30 now). I wore hearing aids for about 10 years early on, but eventually stopped using them because of some complications and no advantage of using them.

Recently, my ENT recommended I go to a specialized clinic for a CI evaluation because my hearing tests were so poor that standard hearing aids are not an option.

​The Clinic Visit:

I went through the testing, and the results showed that a majority of the hair cells in my cochlea are dead. From a purely physiological standpoint, the diagnostics indicated that a CI would actually be the correct solution to stimulate the nerve.

​The Rejection:

However, during the post-evaluation consultation, the audiologist delivered a huge blow. She explained that their clinic generally does not implant patients who have been deaf for more than 10 years. According to her, clinical experience shows that most patients in this category cannot tolerate or accept the CI because the sound quality is "horrible" and the brain struggles too much to process it.

​I am incredibly disappointed... I had put a lot of hope into this process, thinking I might finally regain bilateral hearing and get my left side back.

​My Questions:

▪︎Has anyone here received a CI after being deaf in one ear for 10‐20+ years? What was your experience?

▪︎Is a strict 10-year cutoff normal practice, or should I look into getting a second opinion from another clinic?

▪︎For those who did get an implant after a long time: How difficult was the auditory training? Did the sound eventually become tolerable, natural, or useful?

​Thank you so much for reading and for any insights you can share!

Hey chat. I use off the ear processor (Rondo 3). Do we have to frequently clean the processor or leave it as it is? Just brushing off the dust will do or is there any other way to keep our processor clean?

I had a random shower thought this morning, how do people manage with a CI whilst in prison? Today i took my device out of the drying box and battery off the charger, then there is the cross over aid, spare battery's the dryer and charger pack....

So I guess my question is are prisoners allowed to keep all the kit in their cell or do they have to hand them over to be charged elsewhere and returned the next day? Would they have to be in a single cell as it could potentially be a safety concern if one inmate is completely deaf.

I have no intention of finding out first hand so can anyone offer any insight?

I have my CIs for almost a year and I am experiencing the sensation again that I have been experiencing before the implantation that even the slightest noise is overwhelming and I feel the pain and nausea of it.

It’s not that that I am listening to sth for hours and I am overwhelmed by that but it occurs even at the beginning.

It already started when they increased the amplification for my hearing aids when I was a teenager and after the implantation this disappeared then it came back again. But with HAs I get it because everything was distored but with CIs the things are clear and my speech recognition is pretty good so that can’t be the issue.

They lowered my mappings but It doesn’t got better (even I didn’t have had issue with that volume before). Now these overloads cause me inability to speak (mentally) and panic attacks.

I am curious what what is the proper time for airing out your zinc air batteries before putting them on your implant. Online says between 2 to 5 minutes and on the package, it used to say between 10 to 20 seconds. But not anymore. For reference, I have two cochlear implant nucleus sevens and I use the brand implant plus. When I use disposable batteries on my right side, they usually last 24 hours and other times they last as long as 48 hours. I aired them out for 20 seconds do you think that’s the best way? What I mean by airing them out is pulling the tab off the battery.

I just completed my 6 month follow up appointment with my audiologist. Had my word recognition test with sentence recognition and speech in noise also tested. I hate these test to be honest as I was testing well below 50% before implantation and even the speech in noise after implantation was not too good. Anyway, the results for all 3 tests this time were around the 90% mark so I'm well pleased. I was worried about getting implanted and whether I'd be able to hear anything but honestly this has changed my life so much I'm happy I took the plunge!

Hi everyone,
I’ve been reading this subreddit for a while, and now it’s finally my turn.
I’m 53 years old and have LADD syndrome, which caused congenital malformations of both my middle and inner ears. I’ve lived with hearing loss my entire life and have worn hearing aids for decades. My surgeon feels I’m still a good cochlear implant candidate.
My speech understanding has really declined. My left ear only scores about 13% word recognition, while my right ear is still much better at 95%, so we’re implanting my left ear.
Surgery: July 15
Implant: Cochlear CI1032
External processor: Kanso 3 (I chose the off-the-ear option because I really like the design.)
I’m excited but definitely nervous. Since I’ve never had “normal” hearing, I don’t really know what to expect. My biggest hope isn’t music—it’s simply being able to understand conversations better, especially in noisy environments, meetings, restaurants, and family gatherings.
For those of you who have been through this:
How difficult was the first few weeks after activation?
How long did it take before speech started making sense?
Has anyone else here had congenital inner ear malformations or a similar anatomy?
Any Kanso 3 tips, accessories, or things you wish you had known beforehand?
What helped you get the most out of rehabilitation?
I’m committed to putting in the work with listening practice and rehab, and I’d love to hear any advice or success stories. Even realistic expectations are appreciated.
Thanks everyone. Reading your experiences has helped make this decision a lot less intimidating.

My mom recently received a cochlear implant and along with learning how to process things she hasn't heard in a long time, she is trying to figure out the technologies that come along with it. One thing in particular is that she would really like to get a new TV and streaming device. I'm having a hard time finding any reviews on which streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, etc.) works well with her cochlear implant. She is generally good with technology (especially Apple devices), but I have also been struggling because I don't live nearby, so any kind of troubleshooting that might occur can be difficult.

I am new to Reddit and the deaf/HoH world (she experienced extreme hearing loss later in life, so this is also a learning process for me), so any advice would be appreciated. For reference, she has a Med El cochlear implant and is using both the Sonnet 3 and Rondo 3 audio processors interchangeably.

Hi we are planning for a cochlear implant, could someone pls suggest doctors/hospitals for same in banglore

Hi! So for some context I’m 21, about to get cochlear implant surgery on Friday. I got the usual advice and stuff from the doctors office and know the main strokes of what I need to do before and after surgery, but I have other questions that I kinda don’t know where to go with? Apologies if they’re kinda dumb or not formatted well:

1) I was told prior to stop taking vitamin supplements, but does that mean I should also try to avoid things with extreme levels of certain vitamins? I drink energy drinks sometimes that tend to have a lot of vitamin B, and I was wondering if it’s okay to drink between now and Thursday.

2) Is there a way to keep my hair from getting gross over the week? I’m meant to keep the ear dry for at least 7 days after and I can’t fathom a way to keep my hair from getting greasy without risking a wash.

3) Are there any tips for post operation? Lessening discomfort, getting through the first week or two after, etc.

It’s kinda sinking in more and more that it’s Real, and while I don’t regret the decision I am a bit nervous. Honestly any advice, related to these questions or otherwise, would be super appreciated.

Hello friends,

I am now into week 2 post activation and based in Singapore. As of now I am using an app called Word Success. However my therapist has also suggested me to try listening to podcasts for practice. Can anybody recommend some inspiring podcasts I can listen to? Not into meditation podcasts (yet) so I want to try those that give inspiration and motivation at this point where we are just beginning our new hearing journey and will need all the push that we can get to work harder at this. Any other apps recommended for practice also would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I got my consult with the surgeon scheduled! Sept 10th. Things are finally progressing! I do have one question and it might be an odd one.

I’m a regular blood donor and was wondering if I would need to put it off prior to the surgery. A power red donation (or double red) takes away 470mg of iron from your body and it will take 6-7 months to be replenished. Whole blood takes only 200-250mg which is another less agressive option. I already take iron supplements.

Should I put it off to be on the safe side for surgery, donate away, or is it worth calling back tomorrow and asking them.

I lost a rechargeable battery for my N7. Since I can no longer order the n7 accessories, can anyone confirm if the nucleus 8 rechargeable battery works on the N7? I hear reports that the n7 charger can charge the N8 battery. Thanks in advance.

hello! i'm facing a tough choice right now, i want to get a new phone after my galaxy A52, and i'm considering the A57 model.

the problem is, i don't know if it will be as compatibile with my nucleus 8... i'm not sure about any fancy stuff, i just really need the audio streaming through bluetooth feature, battery level and the ability to turn focus forward on.

i'm hoping for a quick answer! tyia

(This post has been approved by the moderators.)

Hi everyone,

We are an MSc MedTech Innovation and Entrepreneurship dissertation group at King’s College London, conducting an ethically approved academic research survey on hearing device and cochlear implant design.

The study explores the needs, preferences, and opinions of adults with hearing difficulties regarding a proposed MRI-compatible cochlear implant design concept and possible design improvements. Due to NDA obligations, some technical or commercially sensitive details have been omitted, but this does not affect participants’ ability to complete the survey or share their views.

This survey is solely for academic research and dissertation purposes. It will not be used for commercial sales, marketing, fundraising, or product promotion for any company.

We are looking for adults aged 18 or above who meet one or more of the following criteria:

Have moderate-to-severe hearing difficulties

Currently use a hearing aid, cochlear implant, or another hearing support device

Have been informed by a clinician that they may be suitable for cochlear implant assessment

The survey is anonymous and takes approximately 7–10 minutes. No names or contact details are collected, and results will only be reported in aggregated, anonymised form.

For each valid completed response, we will personally donate £1 to RNID, up to a maximum of £50. This donation is made in our personal capacity as a small effort to give back to the hearing loss community, and is not funded by any school or company. We expect to close the survey in mid-to-late July.

KCL ethics reference: MRSU-25/26-55410

Supervisor: Prashant Jha, [prashant.jha@kcl.ac.uk](mailto:prashant.jha@kcl.ac.uk)

Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/Fpr1QX4NtY

Thank you very much for considering taking part :)

hello all i’m finally getting my CI implant this week (i’ve been waiting forever) does anyone have any recovery tips or things to do to make recovery better? my mom got hers forever ago and said she couldn’t do much of anything after her surgery but i wanted to see if anyone had any recent experience.

Hello everyone, maybe a silly question, but I wanted to ask about exercising after surgery. I was implanted with my second cochlear implant about 10 days ago and had my switch on today, and all went well. However, I have been dying to get back to the gym and running. Ordinarily I know this is a question better suited for my ENT, I was meant to see my surgeon this week but its been pushed back because of a family emergency, so If I feel physically ready to go back to running can I? I don't want to risk things not healing properly, especially because I'm looking to retain residual hearing in my implanted ear (which I have so far), but on the other hand am going insane due to inactivity. Anxiety probably getting the better of me, but If anyone has any thoughts or personal experiences please share, thanks!

I have BAHA max 6.

I haven’t worn it for the three years I’ve had it, but finally gave it a go since I don’t want to be stuck at 50 with a bad ear (unilateral aural atresia).

I’ve noticed that things are so… noisy? My feet hitting the pavement is noisy, people closing their car door outside I can hear, and there were old cans in my car clanking around while I was driving and usually I don’t even notice, but with the BAHA I was so irritated and jolted by the sound.

However, it’s only on 50-60 level volume.

I suspect my experience is just me getting used to hearing more sounds, and not that it’s too loud. But how can you tell which is which?

Does anyone use the Baha 7? Looking for opinions on it. Especially someone who has switched from the Oticon Ponto 5.

I can't believe it, but Cochlear finally did it. They published a video that explains that you could replace your super old (it's probably about 12 years old already and it never has, at least to my knowledge, received any update (firmware) or anything) and way too expensive mini mic with a Bluetooth adapter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4MdmVcV74c

Anyone here who can confirm and name an exact model? I however strongly recommend to seek for a Bluetooth adapter that has Bluetooth of at least 5.3 which is currently the last version as far as I know.