Brands of CI..

MilitaryGirl83

MilitaryGirl83

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As far as you guys know that I will have the Freedom Brand.. the audiologist said that mel-el.. something is the worse and it fucked up big time and binoics has recalls in the past 5 years. So far.. the Freedom one is the best because it has been around for a long time and techology always improves.

So what is your opinion on it and other things? :ty:
 
Er...be careful how you say these things...I know Boult is a AB guy and will defend his brand to the hilt. He appears to be very happy with his.

I don't know enough about Med-El other than I know of a person who has them in bilateral mode. She is quite happy with hers.

On Advance Bionics, yes there was some trouble with recalls but it shouldn't really cast a negative light on them. I understand they are pretty good. I'll let Boult say more on them.

I will say this...competition is a good thing and keeps all three competitors on their toes and keep improving them.

On the Freedom, well I would be partial to them as that is what I have and I'm tremendously pleased with mine. IMHO, I say the Freedom rocks... :D
 
That's what Mel-EL cochlear implant looks like....

16.jpg
 
Felix, I bumped other thread which is a poll that asked which brand.

sr17 is right that I am very happy with my AB Auria. and that recalls does not cast a negative light on them at all.

Since AB has more than one vendors that supplies parts to AB to assembly the implant.

So in the last recall, it is like this Vendor A = 99% free of defect. Vendor B = 97% free of defect So First step AB do is recall all UNimplanted Vendor B to be taken back to AB and replace them with Vendor A. Then AB end contract with Vendor B supplier and switch to other Vendor. Then AB notify all AB users with Vendor B that they are on recall list and suggest them to visit their CI center to determine whether or not they can continue to use it as a "400 Days Test" If their CI pass "400 days test" then they are not defective. If one's device fails within "400 days test" then they will get theirs replaced with new one at AB's expense.

That's all to it.

And the other recall that happened during the year I was implanted. AB took it off the market before I got it. I didn't have to wait because I was in evaluation stage before my surgeon OK'd me for CI.
What was recalled was the HI-Focus II w/positioner array I wanted it even though I am willing to take the risk. I told them I will vaccine myself before the surgery but they took it off the market.. shoot. But the implant is the same thing but without positioner so that's okay.

The AB technology does improve all the time... new 120 channels is coming out this falls. No need to replacement needed. just exchange the BTE. I can use my BWP with 120 channels software. I am extremely happy.

I do not care about looks of CI. I care about the technology inside. my implant is underutilized 90% so that means more room for improvement over the years and means newer BTE can be used with the implant I have now. CII and HiRes 90K has the same electronic platform but different casing. I have the CII so no recall for me. and when I go for 2nd implant, it will be HiRes 90K and this time I avoid the recalled implant :D (it is like buying a Mac. I don't buy Revision A iMac, I just go for Revision B or C )


Would you buy a recalled Auto brand? Oh of course I would. lots of cars have been recalled for many things so are many other electronic device. That does not means they are bad. recalled product get replaced or repaired at no charge. I buy a Ford Fusion and recall came out then I check to see if it is on recall list then I take to Ford and let them take care of it (the sooner the better) then drive home with replaced or repaired Ford Fusion. hmm. Risk is lessened. So same thing with CI.

In case of Cochlear Nucleus, the case design is still the same no changes. so it has been that way for ages. defect appeared ages ago before you heard it. If you check the FDA's medical database, you will find lots of nucleus defections but Cochlear did not recall them. :dunno:

If I were you I will not diss on the brand. I don't. You want Freedom sure no problem.

I researched on all three brands. I choose AB because at that time I was implanted. Nuclues does not have DSP technology and AB had the DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology (that means upgradable software without replacing the internal) That's how I came to conclusion. and that was before Freedom came out. I am like so what.

When Freedom came out I looked at it and I said I do not care for Smartsound Beam because I do not like filtering out some sounds. and I do not like two wire in the implant. one is inserted into cochlea and one is attached to the skullbone. I am not crazy about 675 batteries. I am not going to build a mountain of dead batteries eh. :D I like rechargeable. (easy to swap it out real fast)

I choose AB before HiRes Sound Processing came out but I was glad I did because HiRes Sound Processing is the only strategy I use. I did not have to try CIS, MPS, ACE back and forth. I am glad I skipped it to HiResolution Sound Processing giving me full spectrum of sounds.

I researched for 2 years. I requested information package (The full package) from all three. (Med-EL was skimpy on it) I pored thru it and I researched online and joined the CI yahoo group and even on old forum like DN and mine (DOL) 2 years... Final was AB. That was before I went to see my audie and I told them I wanted AB and they haven't done AB yet and I said "then I will be your first AB client then time to get started!) Then few clients came to my ci center for AB and growing. Before, they had to drive to Phoenix, Az to get implanted and get mapped there. I was implanted and mapped here in Tucson but 3 yrs later. no ci surgeon in my town now but my ci center still service AB users that got implanted in Phx.
So Audie didn't recommend me any of them. I already know that the do Nucleus that's it. but not anymore. I am happy with my decision.

Ok sorry for long post. I suggest you keep it to yourself. Just talk about YOUR implant and not criticize other brand. WE do not want brand wars :D

**stepping off soap box**
 
FelixKat930 said:
http://www.cochlear.org/sys-tmpl/medelrecall/
Click to expand...
Again it is old information, Med-EL's latest product has been approved by FDA as of Sept 2005 called PULSARCI100.

In that link, it was not about defectives. Just that they broke the Imports rule. Med-EL now can service their latest product in USA without any blocking. :dunno:

Med-EL is a good CI for those with ossified cochlea. If you had one and would end up with Med-EL because that's what it does best in that area.
 
Advanced Bionics may have a few problems with its implants, notably the Positioner which proved fatal in rare cases. When AB noticed a cluster of meningitis, it stopped marketing the Positioner voluntarily. AB was the first to recall without FDA. FDA did not make the recall, AB did.

However, Cochlear does have a history of defective implants and rarely recall them while AB is much more likely to recall products if it is not up to its high standards.

Also, AB implant is inherently more complex than Nucleus - it has several times more transistors and built in memory chips. So, complexity often means more risk of failures. Nucleus has much fewer transistors. AB implant is often used as a research implant due to its flexibilty in programming. It can actually support all programs (CIS, SPEAK, ACE, PPS, SAS, HiRes, etc) which Nucleus cannot offer all that. Ironically, Cochlear has used AB device to test SPEAK programming in clarion users.

I think MedEL offers exciting opportunities and is developing SAS (again, it's AB's invention but much more refined).

AB invented the pre-curved array which Cochlear later adopted in its current implants. Previous implants by Cochlear were straight arrays.

AB argued that faster stimulation processing equals better performance and Cochlear downplayed that theory but now it's agreed that faster processing does seem to improve performance for most implantees. Now Cochlear uses high speed ACE.

AB is truly innovative but its Positioner concept was the worst mistake AB ever made. The positioner does IMPROVE hearing but it wasn't safe enough to justify for such improvement. Now, with HiRes, the Positioner is not needed.

Competition is good though.
 
Netrox, had AB created a positioner that is one-piece instead of two piece then it may be more safer. oh well right? I wanted that but lucky some got it and was vaccinated and still living. Also we have to remind ourself that there is pre-deposition to meningitis among deaf children after a bout of meningitis attack.

and I remember one lawyer office set up shop hoping they will come up with frivolous lawsuit against CI company but that never materialize because everyone signed the paper knowing the risk. :dunno:
 
When I get insurance or other way to get CI, I am going for Freedom.
 
I like to ask you everyone who experience prevouis ci.. and re-call you have replace the ci. Does require you have to pay for it again another sugery because of re-call?

If yes..
Obvouisly they are already made their mistkae due ci isn't function well for other people who have simlair brand of ci.. sound grant you free sugery reason re-call?

*curiouis*
 
GalaxyAngel said:
I like to ask you everyone who experience prevouis ci.. and re-call you have replace the ci. Does require you have to pay for it again another sugery because of re-call?

If yes..
Obvouisly they are already made their mistkae due ci isn't function well for other people who have simlair brand of ci.. sound grant you free sugery reason re-call?

*curiouis*
Click to expand...



VERY GOOD question! We dicussed that few months ago in CI meetings...What I've found out. One lady had CI when she was young and that was way back in early 1980's. She found out that the compnay isn't make them anymore (her old CI, not working anymore). So I am not sure who OFFERED her A FREE surgery and free CI! So she isn't too sure but I'll find out if she go for it or not. She need to replace the thingy inside her (I am not sure what was it called). She explained that the surgery was very very painful than today's surgery. We told her today surgery is so simple and take 3 hours. It helped her to re-think.

Some compnay willing help pay for it and you pay less or none. I am working on to get one! Damn Medicaid! Oh well I am powerless over Mediciad.
 
GalaxyAngel said:
I like to ask you everyone who experience prevouis ci.. and re-call you have replace the ci. Does require you have to pay for it again another sugery because of re-call?

If yes..
Obvouisly they are already made their mistkae due ci isn't function well for other people who have simlair brand of ci.. sound grant you free sugery reason re-call?

*curiouis*
Click to expand...
In case of AB's recall, all those affected are offered re-implantation surgery at AB's expense (I already mentioned in my previous post, the long one)
 
LakeTahoe said:
When I get insurance or other way to get CI, I am going for Freedom.
Click to expand...

Good luck with getting insurance - in the US it's a matter of finding the right job that has the right insurance company isn't it?
 
I like Boult a lot and I absolutely respect him... He made an educated choice and that is our right to do so.

If everybody felt there was an absolute choice, then there wouldn't be choices at all.
 
Fragmenter said:
I like Boult a lot and I absolutely respect him... He made an educated choice and that is our right to do so.

If everybody felt there was an absolute choice, then there wouldn't be choices at all.
Click to expand...
Ah Thanks! :cheers:
 
Fragmenter said:
...
If everybody felt there was an absolute choice, then there wouldn't be choices at all.
Click to expand...

True, still having said that you know as well as I do that life doesn't always give you choices.... ;)

On another note...while it is nice to have some sanity in here, I admit to missing some of the "drama" which spiced up life a little like "Did too, did not, did too, did not"... :popcorn:
 
Bionics vs other cochlear implants

Hi guys, I have read all of your posts. It is really interesting that a lot of them have different opinions. Let me tell you about my experience, I got my first one which is Hi Resolution on my left ear back in 2003, it was unsuccessful because it made facial movements everytime the level of the volume was raised. It was horrible experience and embarrassing. Then I decided to discountinue the left ear cochlear implant. Wait a minute there is more to tell. My right hearing was descending so fast within one year I lost more than 5 decibals. I decided why not go ahead and proceed a cochlear implant on my right ear. I have no risk since I am losing all of my hearing. This time I got the Hi Resolution 90K. It was rough at first because there was a facial movement, we had to turn off half of the electrodes which is 8 electrodes. It was sharp and really great for me to use. I was able to communicate better, my speech has improved and I was really happy with this. Then two years later which is recently April, I started having problems like statics and could not hear what they were saying. Then one day, it stopped working. I went to see the audiologist twice. They came up with a conclusion is to have it operated again to replace it for free. I dreaded it. I hate going under the knife but it was worth it. My doctor decided to boot the Bionics because it was not working well for me. I realized that the Bionics can work for others but sometimes it would not work on specific patients for no reasons like all of our bodies are different. My ear structures are completely different from both sides. My doctor decided to put in Nucleus Freedom. I was relieved that both of my insurance Medicaid and Medicare is covering it for me. I like it but it is not the same as Bionics's sharpness. My doctor told me to give it time since I got hooked up two weeks. I am hoping and praying that this will work and succeed as we raise up the levels back to where I was. Please keep in mind all cochlear implants is a huge risk because they do not have a knowledge which fits for everyone like I said everybody's structures are all different. Not one single person is the same as the other. Do some research and ask for opinions with experienced CI users. It might help to talk with your families and follow your gut feelings. Sometimes they work and sometimes they dont. Mine seems to be working for me. I can not say my opinions about the cochlear implants. All of them are great but we all have to depend which is best for us individually.
:angel:
 
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