Brooke,
A person must have severe-profound or profound hearing loss (80 dB or below across all frequencies) and speech discrimmination of 40% or less to qualify for a CI.
There is no reason to be scared of CI surgery. It's less invasive than it used to be years ago and only takes 2-3 hours to complete. It involves drilling into the mastoid bone and inserting electrodes into the cochlea.
One of the best things you can do to prepare for making the decision to get a CI is to research, research and do more research. Talk to other CI users to find out more about how they feel about their implants. Are they happy with them? What do they like or dislike about their CI? Read blogs on the Internet to find out more about the positive and negative experiences of other CI users. (Reading about the negative experiences is just as important as reading the positive since this will help you determine if a CI is the right decision for you.)
More and more CI users are retaining their residual hearing. This is due to the fact that CI companies are making electrodes that "hug" the cochlear wall.
If you're interested in qualifying for a CI, you must be evaluated at a qualified CI center.
You can find one closest to you by visiting:
Cochlear: World leader in advanced hearing solutions. Nucleus cochlear implants and the Baha system.
and clicking on the link that reads "Find a Clinic."
Hope this helps! 
