Cochlear Implant Patients.

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The bald fact which PFH seems to be missing is the fact your skull is cut in order to in insert the internal processor. After the surgeon stitches the "cut"- takes time to heal. Not a surprise considering Cochlear Implantation is "major surgery"-for most people anyways. Local chit-chat notwithstanding.
Considering this person is a friend of PFH which facility was used to perform the "unusual quick operation"?

Implanted-Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
actually it is true that some ppl get activated the next day or a few days to a week later..depends on the surgeon and the centre you go to...i've read about it as well and mister potts is an AD member
 
With the Nucleus series implants, getting activated the 'next day' would be futile.

The skin on your head behind your ear is cut and peeled from the skull, a modified angle-drill bit is used to drill a 1 inch diameter crater in your skull, then a step-drill bit is used to drill into your skull to get to the cochlea. The cochlea is drilled open, the probe is inserted in there and manipulated to curl up inside.

24 hours later, all your tissues are swollen, even the cochlea is swollen and needs to repair the hole, re-fill with fluid, and stabilize. Activating the implant while the cochlea is swelled up is a waste of time.

Your cochlea and the fluid inside is what regulates your sense of balance. Throw that fluid off and you will not be able to stand up.

It is like a doctor putting rods in your shattered leg and 24 hours later, he tells you to start walking. Gotta let the body heal itself.
 
From my direct experience Sunnybrook/Toronto this is clearly not the case. I felt fine a couple of days later. Dr J Chen saw me a couple of weeks later and the stitches were removed a couple of weeks AFTER. I understand the 4 week period is "kind of quick". That is when the externals were "inserted". Yeah the first mapping.
Hard to believe the externals were placed with the stitches-still there. Personally-have no complaints on waiting for my skull to heal-which it did! Of course-all of this happened July/Aug/07. None of the other patients I met at Sunnybrook/Toronto had less than 4 weeks, some had 5 weeks. Is it interesting this discussion started by persons who appeared not to have been implanted? Is Ottawa that different than Sunnybrook?
The above description is accurate and I guess the major surprise that one does heal over the "short time frame" .


Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
When my daughter was reimplanted,she was activated after 7 days, however as the swelling had not yet subsided, she could not get a good map. Her audi said to wait another week and at that time she was able to get a map that worked fine.

I am sure there is one person who was activated the next day but so what, who really cares. You are going to have your implant the rest of your life and waiting 10 days to 2 weeks is so insignificant in the grander scheme of things.
Rick
 
rick48 said:
When my daughter was reimplanted,she was activated after 7 days, however as the swelling had not yet subsided, she could not get a good map. Her audi said to wait another week and at that time she was able to get a map that worked fine.

I am sure there is one person who was activated the next day but so what, who really cares. You are going to have your implant the rest of your life and waiting 10 days to 2 weeks is so insignificant in the grander scheme of things.
Rick
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Quite the pessimist, eh? Read post 350 carefully, think of the situation and apply it to why this discussion is going on. :hmm:

For any other commoner - I would say 2-4 weeks, cool but... this situation is different.
 
drphil said:
From my direct experience Sunnybrook/Toronto this is clearly not the case. I felt fine a couple of days later. Dr J Chen saw me a couple of weeks later and the stitches were removed a couple of weeks AFTER. I understand the 4 week period is "kind of quick". That is when the externals were "inserted". Yeah the first mapping.
Hard to believe the externals were placed with the stitches-still there. Personally-have no complaints on waiting for my skull to heal-which it did! Of course-all of this happened July/Aug/07. None of the other patients I met at Sunnybrook/Toronto had less than 4 weeks, some had 5 weeks. Is it interesting this discussion started by persons who appeared not to have been implanted? Is Ottawa that different than Sunnybrook?
The above description is accurate and I guess the major surprise that one does heal over the "short time frame" .


Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
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Again: Healing and Activation is a big difference. He also mentioned that it was tough with the swelling but he did it.

It seems you havent seen his post, here it is.
 
I didn't say ottawa was different than sunnybrook and I didn't say everyone whos implanted here gets activated the next day...I've never met anyone in ottawa who has..the few ppl i know who've been activated the next day or couple days after are in the states
 
Still seems like a strange discussion. How could the external cord get around the metal stitches to operate the internal processor? Still having a large bandage around one's head which covers the inclusion -how would it stay put? Also more relevant how can the external processor be mapped not staying on very well? Minor problem?
Again - Mr Potts doesn't explain how long it took to heal and when did he "perceive the Implant was working"?
The obvious- why did Mr Potts did this in the first place?

Again seems people discussing this never had the Cochlear Implant operation- why?
What next-somebody that did his/her operation? Is this the Twilight Zone? Rod Serling where are you?

Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
drphil said:
Still seems like a strange discussion. How could the external cord get around the metal stitches to operate the internal processor? Still having a large bandage around one's head which covers the inclusion -how would it stay put? Also more relevant how can the external processor be mapped not staying on very well? Minor problem?
Again - Mr Potts doesn't explain how long it took to heal and when did he "perceive the Implant was working"?
The obvious- why did Mr Potts did this in the first place?

Again seems people discussing this never had the Cochlear Implant operation- why?
What next-somebody that did his/her operation? Is this the Twilight Zone? Rod Serling where are you?

Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
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The answer was obvious in mr potts post: He didnt want to miss a single day of school, which he didnt.

He has basically no scar from the surgery. The stitches were away from the processor. As you can see....

n565927851_508748_6727.jpg


I know, friggin unbelievable..
 
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That is interesting no scar from a Cochlear Implant operation- I can still feel the huge indentation from my operation over my left ear. I am not able to see if there is any scar but have been advised- visible. It doesn't hurt of course. Different surgical techniques? Something just doesn't ring true for such huge difference in supposedly similar operation-what? I am not getting excited about it. I have recovered a long time ago and Implant works fine-so far.
The metal/other material? stitches are external and above your ear-my were- to close your skull which again seems so odd to claim the external cord could stay only on the internal processor's magnet with all the metal stitches still there?Suspension of belief? Welcome again to the Twilight Zone!

Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
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drphil said:
That is interesting no scar from a Cochlear Implant operation- I can still feel the huge indentation from my operation over my left ear. It doesn't hurt of course. Different surgical techniques? Something just doesn't ring true for such huge difference in supposedly similar operation-what? I am not sure going to excited about it. I have recovered a long time ago and Implant works fine-so far.
The metal stitches are external and above you ear-my were- to close your skull which again seems so odd to claim the external cord could stay only on the internal processor's magnet with all the metal stitches still there?

Implanted Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
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well, youd have to ask him. i dont see a problem with stitches. I dont think he had metal stitches... However if it was, it was just behind the ear, and seeing that the magnet is a couple of inches behind the cut i dont think this was a big issue
 
Yep, definitely different surgery techniques. My original and my recent surgeries did not utilize metal staples or stitches; they used sterile cyanoacrylate (super glue) which is very common these days.
 
I wasn't awake during my operation on July 12, 2007. I didn't check what was used and there were metal stitches removed just before the externals were hooked up in August.. PFH's point that ones motivation seems not exactly correct. Of course one can check the surgical techniques prior to their operation and report say here if approved!
What next?

Implanted Advanced Bionics- Harmony activated Aug/07
 
I was activated 4 and a half weeks after surgery. I was still pretty tender behind the ear when I was activated but it was doable. I also was advised to remove the protective cap 24 hrs post surgery. My stiches where the kind that fell out when the incision heald. I do believe that some people are activated within a few days after surgery. There are different techniques used by many different surgeons. My scar looks nothing like some other peoples. I have a photo in my album on here with my scar with stiches still intact.
 
Technically, I think that every CI patient is activated the same day -- for a brief time during the surgery just before closing the incision: there's an audiologist and sometimes also a rep from the CI company in the operating room who activates the CI and checks to see that each electrode is in working order and the receiver/stimulator is OK. Usually a second CI is held at the ready just in case.
 
Well my surgery was performed a week and 5 days ago. I still can feel my scar, it doesn't hurt though unless you touch it. They didn't use metal stitches. I've never heard of those. They used dissolvable stitches. They removed the pressure band around my head the day after surgery! I would have to agree that they probably do check to make sure it works before they close it up. But it isn't really activated as you still have no maps telling the loudest and quietest you can hear. While it isn't impossible to get activated the very next day it is usually unlikely. They said normally they make patients wait at least 5 weeks before being activated but they said we could do it a week early since i have somewhere to be.

i really feel like this guy most likely does have a scar and you just can't see it because he either never showed you or his hair grew over it..

Also PostsFromHell, no need to repost that link you keep posting. I already went there and i can believe what i want..
 
GrendelQ said:
Technically, I think that every CI patient is activated the same day -- for a brief time during the surgery just before closing the incision: there's an audiologist and sometimes also a rep from the CI company in the operating room who activates the CI and checks to see that each electrode is in working order and the receiver/stimulator is OK. Usually a second CI is held at the ready just in case.
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It is an internal-electronics test that my audiologist performs before doing mapping. During this phase the electrodes are not transmitting any currents to the cochlea, and we do not hear anything.
 
green427 said:
It is an internal-electronics test that my audiologist performs before doing mapping. During this phase the electrodes are not transmitting any currents to the cochlea, and we do not hear anything.
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True.. Before every mapping they test to make sure the electrodes are working. You can see the diagnosis being performed on the computer and see what electrodes ( would) be malfunctioning. But yeah like grendal said they do test to make sure it is working before sewing ya up in case the internal would malfunction. But we are unaware of this during it being performed since we are under anesthesia.
 
GrendelQ said:
Technically, I think that every CI patient is activated the same day -- for a brief time during the surgery just before closing the incision: there's an audiologist and sometimes also a rep from the CI company in the operating room who activates the CI and checks to see that each electrode is in working order and the receiver/stimulator is OK. Usually a second CI is held at the ready just in case.
Click to expand...

I never thought of that...but that does make sense.
 
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