Holmdel's Bayshore Medical Center Offers Cochlear Implant Surgery

HOLMDEL, NJ - Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center's service has been expanded to include cochlear implant surgery to help those with moderate to profound hearing loss who are not receiving sufficient help from a hearing aid..

Cochlear implants replace the function of damaged inner ears and are designed to mimic natural hearing.

“Cochlear implants work differently than hearing aids,” said Dr. John Roche, a board-certified adult and pediatric otolaryngologist at Bayshore Medical Center. “Hearing aids may help to make sounds louder but as hearing loss progresses, do not do enough to help make sounds clearer. Cochlear implants help to give that clarity, especially in noisy environments.”

Internal implants offer options of electrode selections to fit a person’s hearing needs, according to a prepared release from the hospital. By bypassing the damaged portion of the inner ear, a cochlear implant stimulates the hearing nerve directly and helps to make sounds louder and clearer so speech and surrounding sounds are more easily understood.

“At Bayshore Medical Center, we are continuously working to bring valuable services to the community,” said Timothy Hogan, president of Bayshore and Riverview medical centers. “Hearing is becoming a large public health issue and we are excited to be able to help our community better hear the world around them.”

. Research has shown that adults receiving cochlear implants understand sentences on average almost seven times better than they could with hearing aids, according to the release.

“If you suspect that you may have hearing loss, it’s important to be evaluated by a physician,” Roche said. “Cochlear implants are just one of many options available to help improve hearing but hearing loss can be degenerative so it’s important to seek treatment when you first start noticing the symptoms.”

Symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Having difficulty hearing conversations, especially with background noise; frequently asking people to repeat themselves; misunderstanding what people say; having trouble hearing on the phone; turning the TV volume up louder than others in the room prefer and feeling that people mumble when speaking.
  
  Also, struggling to hear sounds of nature such as birds chirping or rain falling; finding yourself agreeing, smiling or nodding during conversations because you’re unsure of what’s been said; withdrawing from conversations because it’s too difficult to hear and reading lips to understand what people are saying

For more information about cochlear implants or other surgical services offered at Bayshore Medical Center, call 732-739-5962.

Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel is offering cochlear implant surgery. Image via Shutterstock.