How much better with CI over Aids

[drphil]

A few thoughts from above: Whether the "harmony Cochlear Implant was/is second rate WHEN installed back 7 years== is the same as used back then in the United States/other countries- no idea.

In the province where I live-Ontario- there are 3 Cochlear Implant centres for adults: Sunnybrook/Toronto, London & Ottawa. One is free to get implanted anywhere in the world as long as one pays for the service.

The actual surgeon was an associate professor surgery- University of Toronto. As to whether a "client" is able/can evaluate the surgical skills of various surgeon/ doctors-no comment

If memory serves me right-had 5 appointments within a short time after the operation adjusting the "mapping"Implant for my benefit

Further info: by "RiSol-Silicon Valley Calif: Post 61 SURGERY TOMORROW July 15/14
"Oh your posts make me want to get a CI too, I have never heard birds sing... . But I'm afraid of it..depend on the insurance,doctor,medicare medicine..what if CI get broken and I don't have insurance?"

aside: seems there are some " differences in the United States"

Last aside: Advance Bionics me sent a card verifying the model and serial #


As to non CI ENT "advice" I was at a nonCL ENT a teaching hospital-St Michaels- here in Toronto and referred to Sunnybrook. They have been "implanting" since 1984. Seems a few years experience!

As for the comparison of my 7 year Implant to those of today- I have actually tested AB Naida and DIDN'T notice much difference. No big hurry to get it which may occur with a few years in the future.

My comment waiting the "perfect Cochlear Implant in the future would seem to effect on the person waiting- their hearing in the meantime!

Aside: Seems to me- there has been many comments here about what happens "in non socialized medicine" in the United States. I have no direct knowledge if "Obama care has solved the alleged problems"?

Whether one can "hear" with their Hearing aids would suggest a question of "fact" as to the "suitablity" of consideration for Cochlear Implant consideration?

Perhaps different countries have different criteria on the question ignoring the "apparent cost difference"?

 

[BleedingPurist]

I disagree..with the features on the Naida, the sound is much more crisp, clear and "normal". The Neptune is fine and I use it quite often, but it's not as good as the Naida...and they are both better than the Harmony based on other people's experience with both.

So you are saying when you use the headpiece mic on your Naida you find the sound is much more crisp and clear and "normal? "

The Tmic2 uses an improved mic, so yes it does sound crisper compared to the original Tmic. UltraZoom also adds a crispness to speech. You do need to be using the headpiece mic on the Naida and compare that to using the headpiece mic in the Neptune to make an accurate assessment. Also, you are now likely using Optima with your Naida where you previously did not with your Neptune so that's also a factor in your perception.

The Neptune's actual processing capability is the same.

 

[deafdyke]

Well, I guess this is just another reason I am SO glad I don't have socialized medicine. First, I'm bilateral, not an option for you as I understand it. Second, I have newer implants and better equipment, so that does matter. I have a Naida and Neptune and while they are both new, there are significant differences in sound quality between the two, so your 7+ year old processors need to be upgraded--if you can. Third, how much rehab did you do, how often do you go in/did you go in for mappings to fine tune? Fourth, I most certainly did shop for doctors and centers. I had 4 centers to choose from within an hour drive of my house. I got recommendations from non CI ENT's as well as CI users. I understand that is not an option for you, however. Yes, your limited exposure and availability to quality care will impact your results...

It is also the case in Canada that they will only do X number of implants each year, so, only the really bad cases get the implants after waiting years . That is not the case in the US .

Only if you can actually AFFORD it thou. Not all insurances cover it, and not all insurances will cover every thing..You're obviously not even reconizing your class privilage in having easily affordable health insurance, and your pick of CI centers and doctors.

 

[HOH-ME]

Only if you can actually AFFORD it thou. Not all insurances cover it, and not all insurances will cover every thing..You're obviously not even reconizing your class privilage in having easily affordable health insurance, and your pick of CI centers and doctors.

Well, most insurances DO cover CI's and VERY few cover hearing aids...Medicare and Medicaid also cover CI's so it's certainly not a "class" thing :roll:. Everyone has access to insurance now btw....

 

[drphil]

Whether RiSol-Silicon Valley-is unusual re: medical insurance in the United States to be determined?
Exact comment- above #21

Who exactly pays for the insurance?

 

[Frisky Feline]

Well, most insurances DO cover CI's and VERY few cover hearing aids...Medicare and Medicaid also cover CI's so it's certainly not a "class" thing :roll:. Everyone has access to insurance now btw....

recently, lately medicare and medicaid cut down on CI in some states.

 

[cdmeggers]

Medicare has made no changes regarding CI coverage as far as I know (I use Medicare and Wyoming Medicaid, both cover CIs). Medicaid in some states have changed their coverage.

 

[everlastingstorm]

This is incorrect. Cochlear Implants are considered when the loss has hit a threshold for speech perception. At the time of my surgery, I still heard environmental sounds and vowels. I was never without hearing at all at any point. I actually qualified for years prior to that point, but was under a lot of wrong impressions, including the idea that you must be without any hearing at all.

This has been my experience for the last 6 months as well while I was exploring CI's. Before that, my word discrimination score was much too high. I would add, it is still possible to have some speech perception when aided, being face to face with someone in controlled environments. But the aided band tests of static noise & weird voices will show where your speech perception thresholds are and can give a more accurate view of what speech sounds is that you can perceive vs. the ones that you cannot perceive. I was very surprised that my audiologst(s) was not/were not thinking I was doing "too good" when I was able to carry a face to face conversation with them in a quiet office. If I knew that CI's were about speech perception thresholds of all of the speech sounds, I would have decided much earlier this year to get the CI.

I also believe there should be more comprehensive assessment when one receives testing for and is being fitted for a hearing aid incluiding doing aided band threshold tests as part of assessing for hearing aid candidacy, not just CI candidacy. It seems that if you show that you perceive certain speech sounds on the CNC word list unaided and score above a certain percentage that it is assumed that you will be able to hear those sounds with a hearing aid. I don't think that is necessarily true since many hard of hearing/deaf people with severe to profound hearing loss who had good speech perception for at least some time in their lives may also be very good at "filling in the blanks" during these tests as opposed to hearing them.

 

[drphil]

From the above: it would appear there is "different"criteria for consideration of Cochlear Implant used for different countries.

aside: I didn't have speech recognition test when I was tested in early 2007 but was tested at 105db-no hearing. The hospital- non C I ENTclinic- is a teaching one. They had over 35 years of various hearing tests taken. I was in the "profound loss category" over 30 years-both ears. I became DEAF right ear in 1991.
They referred me to Sunnybrook Cochlear Implant section-forthwith. Again no speech recognition test. Sunnybrook has been involved in Cochlear Implants since 1984. They have examined just over 3000 referred patients. Of which 1000 were "suitable for Cochlear Implanation". I was one.