Cochlear Implants: Beneficial or Not?

To most people, deafness is viewed as a handicap or a disability, but those within the deaf community view deafness with a totally different perspective. The majority of the deaf and hard of hearing people in the world view deafness as a normal part of life.

For centuries now, the majority of the hearing people have approached deafness from a medical perspective, with the thought and belief that deaf people are in need of being fixed. For hundreds of years, doctors and hearing teachers for the deaf have spent time trying to come up with the best teaching methods, experiments, and devices to try and help deaf people regain their hearing and live their lives as normal hearing people. Of all of the things that have come and gone, none has remained more controversial over the last thirty years than that of the cochlear implant, otherwise simply known as CI. (Zak, Omer).

The first cochlear implant was done at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, California in 1980. This is what sparked the controversy between two sides, that of the hearing parents and the deaf community. To first be able to understand the controversy, one must first have an understanding about the implant itself.

People who are not familiar with the cochlear implant believe that all you have to do is get the implant and then everything is fine and that you can hear just like a hearing person. This, unfortunately, is far from the truth. That is what the makers of the implants want you to believe. While there are a great deal of deaf people who have had success with the implant, there are also many who get the implant only later to have regrets and disappointment.

Only those with severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears are acceptable candidates. The implant is also available to those of any age, though if born deaf, doctors encourage implantation before the child gets too old as to help expose the child to different sounds and the ability to hear speech. To fully comprehend things, one should really be informed about the device and its implantation.

The cochlear implant is a device that provides sound perception that bypasses the inner ear and is delivered by electrical stimulation to the hearing cells within the cochlea. This is sometimes beneficial to those who have lost their hearing within the inner ear, but still have a functioning cochlea. The implant consists of two parts, the external device and the internal device. The external device contains the sound processor (which children often wear strapped to the waist or chest), cable, and microphone, which are contained in an earpiece, that looks much like a hearing aid. The internal device is surgically implanted through an incision made behind the ear and implanted through the mastoid bone and threaded into the cochlea. This device is made up of a magnet, receiver, wire bundle, and an electrode array.

Once the device is implanted and the person has recovered, the implant is turned on and adjusted to where the frequency needs to be. This is done approximately one month after the device is implanted. The sound processor is what takes the incoming sounds and converts them into electrical currents. These electrical currents are then carried on to the internal device via radio waves, where it then travels through the electrode array. It is at this point that the hearing nerve fibers are stimulated and gives the impression of sound. (University of Maryland Medical Center).

People who are in support of the cochlear implant feel that it is in the best interest of children who are deaf. It is these people who believe that the only way a child can have a successful education is through normal hearing and mainstreaming into a hearing environment. On the other hand, deaf people and those opposing it view deafness as a cultural identity and not as a handicap or disability that is in need of being fixed.

Hearing parents of deaf children will often opt for the implant based on two reasons. One is that they feel that it will help the child to fit in better with their hearing family, friends, and the rest of the hearing world. The second reason is that it will give their children the opportunity to become aware of the different sounds within the environment.

Sometimes parents will choose not to implant their children for a variety of reasons. Naturally there are always concerns with medical risks. There may also be concerns about the implant if the child has had success with hearing aids, acceptance of the child's ability to use sign language and their standing within the deaf community.

Many hearing parents who choose to implant their children are sometimes viewed as not coming to terms with their child's deafness or lacking the ability to accept them as part of the deaf community. (Delost & Laskley)

As with any surgery, there are risks that go along with it. These risks can range to anything from mechanical and electrical failure, to infections (including the possibility of bacterial meningitis), to rejection that would result in the removal of the implant.

There are also many disadvantages that come with the implant that parents should take into consideration before making such an important decision for their children. There is the problem with the static that comes from radar detectors, playground equipment, computers, and carpet. There are pressure recommendations and restrictions such as no scuba diving. There are restrictions against the use of an MRI. The patient is restricted from playing rough sports such as football and wrestling. The frequent feedback is also a problem the patient will have to deal with. It can be embarrassing and interfering to an intimate relationship. Children have to deal with the constant teasing from other children. Probably the biggest disadvantage would be the fact that the cochlear implant is a permanent thing. Once you get the implant, any residual hearing that a person had in the implanted ear is destroyed.

Over the last year that I have worked with implanted children, I have seen first hand, the everyday problems that these children face. From dead batteries, to interference from the frequencies of other implanted children in the building, their education is interrupted far to many times. Based on my experience through my college classes in the Interpreter Training Program, my experience with the deaf community, implanted children and my own personal morals and beliefs, I would never chose the cochlear implant if I had a deaf child. Would you?

Resources

1. (n.d.). Retrieved Nov. 07, 2005, from zak.co.il/deaf-info/old/ci-facts.html.
2. (n.d.). Retrieved Nov. 07, 2005, from umm.edu.
3. (n.d.). Retrieved Nov. 07, 2005, from cochlearimplantcontroversydrury.edu.