Has anyone read about the Esteem the new invisible implant?

Even though I have a CI, this device freaks me out for some reason....

And I LOL'd at the commercial.
"I FEEL CURED!"
"Restore your life back to normal."

Definitely more for the late-deafened.......
 
Not for me either (at least not now, anyway). I guess if it brings some happiness to some, then that's what it is.
 
Wirelessly posted (droid)

You must have working cochlea and middle ear. Leaves me out. Plus $30k price tag. Ouch!
 
Jazzberry said:
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I'll let you know if I get a comment back.

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I got a an e-mail and a 44 page Adobe brochure.


The e-mail looked liked it was adapted only to include my name, none of my questions or comments were addressed. The brochure did make this claim:

Word Recognition Scores (WRS)

In clinical trials, Esteem® recipients scored up to an average of 86% improvement over their pre-implant hearing aid at 50dB (normal conversation level).*

Speech Reception Threshold (SRT)

In clinical trials, the Esteem®, compared to the pre-implant hearing aid, improved speech reception threshold up to an average of 17 dB.*

* Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with the implantation of the Esteem®. Please see the Envoy Medical website at www.
envoymedical.com for a full list of benefits and risks regarding this device.
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They provided NO citations. When a medical company promotes a medical device but provides less sources than a typical 8 year old's science report, that leaves me feeling ... concerned.

They didn't even attempt to explain why they think their device provides better sound fidelity then conventional hearing aids. That left me feeling a little patronized. Until Im given studies that prove otherwise, I'm inclined to believe that their isn't a difference in quality in sound between their product and the top of the line hearing aids that have little distortion. Most hearing aid manufacturers make that information available on their products tech specifications.

Most of the information in the brochure is already available on their web site. A few things they added were:


* About 10% of their customers experienced interference with their cell phones

* Electroconvulsive Therapy can never be used after implantation

* The device must be turned off before electrocautery is used.

They invite the customer to ask for another brochure and send in their audiogram to see if they qualify.
 
sallylou said:
Wirelessly posted (droid)

You must have working cochlea and middle ear. Leaves me out. Plus $30k price tag. Ouch!
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They are targeting people with a sensineural loss -- so I don't think you need to have a "healthy" cochlea. But since the hearing loss has to be stable, my guess is that they are going for people that have a hearing loss due to a past virus or noise damage. My guess is that people with cochlear otosclerosis wouldnt have a stable hearing loss and wouldnt qualify.
 
I wouldn't qualify for this either....not that I'd want it ..having to replace batteries, no MRI, way too many contraindications and risks with this type of implant..meh
 
AliciaM said:
I wouldn't qualify for this either....not that I'd want it ..having to replace batteries, no MRI, way too many contraindications and risks with this type of implant..meh
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Replacing batteries?! Oh hell no!
 
AliciaM said:
ya you need surgery to change the battery every few years or something like that..no thanks..rather have a CI than this esteem implant
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Eww... they should find a way to connect body's natural energy. Cuz it have watts itself. It's like Matrix concept. Keep our body running forever!
 
AliciaM said:
The Esteem is not new it just isn't popular so they must be upping their marketing
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Yes indeedy. They were hyping it on the HLAA boards as the Next Awesome Thing. A la the BAHA. I remember they were hyping the BAHA too awhile back. Thing is only a small percentage of dhh folks even qualify for BAHA...and most of those are unilateral dhh folks. You know the popularity of the BAHA pretty much exploded when Coachlear aquired BAHA/Entific I have a condition where the BAHA is used a lot. Before Coachlear's aquastion, the BAHA was really obscure. Now it's a HUGE thing.
 
Ya I see it gaining momentum now that this video has gone viral of this girl being activated with it.. I find to qualify and the risks kinda overwhelming tho.. ah well to each their own. I am interested in a CI but this does not interest me in the slightest..
 
In today's Toronto Star A 4 is the story of Sarah Churchman's Esteem device. This is not a Cochlear Implant. Apparently can help those with very specific "ear troubles",
Whether it is "similar" to BAHA not mentioned.
Again one must be examined to determine which is suitable to one's specific condition.
So far about 500 have been implanted in the US. The cost of operation in the US is $30,000. So far no Canadian surgeon has performed the procedure.

Implanted Sunnybrook/Toronto Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
Implanted Sunnybrook/Toronto Advanced Bionics-Harmony activated Aug/07
 
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Abstracts of the studies are available here:

Home - PubMed - NCBI

Type "esteem hearing device" in the search box, then press enter -- a few abstracts pop up.

Articles are available also, but they are behind a pay wall. For anyone interested you could probably read them for free at a library that gets medical journals.
 
AliciaM said:
Ya I see it gaining momentum now that this video has gone viral of this girl being activated with it.. I find to qualify and the risks kinda overwhelming tho.. ah well to each their own. I am interested in a CI but this does not interest me in the slightest..
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OTOH, it's still not covered by insurance. Even CIs aren't always fully covered by insurance. Not to mention the fact that hearing aids aren't covered except by the most generous insurances. I think with the sky high medical costs, that only a small percentage of insurances will cover it.
 
Ya I dind't think it was covered lol..I'm not surprised tho that it isn't
 
Hey,

I heard that the Envoy Medical acquired the All hear single electrode cochlear implant a couple of years ago (with plans to make it Totally Implantable). Whatever happened to that?

If the Envoy Medical could get clinical trials going with the Totally Implantable cochlear implant (All Hear single electrode) in exactly a year or less... :locked: party time!
 
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