Providing Support & 50% Failure Rate of CI for deaf people

[Guest guest]

Last month or two months ago, I saw a post from a person stating that

a deaf specialist or counselor have given a speech saying that

cochlear implant has failed or is not working for 50% of the deaf

users. There were a lot of interesting replies on this site saying

that this statement is really misleading and not truthful, etc.

I have several deaf friends who no longer wear CI and two had their

CI taken out! At the deaf school, one person said that several deaf

students are not wearing their CI. I met several parents who were

very disappointed that their deaf children were not doing well at all

with CI or not wearing their CI. At the NAD conference, I met a

number of deaf adults who said they are no longer wearing their CI.

Also, deaf teachers at other deaf schools said there are number of

deaf children with CI no longer using their CI.

It reminded me of the world in 1950s and 1960s, when many parents and

audiologists rushed to fix all of the deaf children with hearing

aids. For most of these deaf children, the hearing aids did not

work. Likewise, for some of these deaf people, the CI does not

appear to work either.

Remember that this subject matter is talking about CI for profound

deaf people and children who had no hearing and never worn a hearing

aid. For some of the deaf people, all the CI provided is the

environmental sounds that does not make sense to them. For some,

they are able to understand environmental sounds, but not spoken

words. For a few of them, they are able to understand some spoken

words. Interesting, many deaf people do not wear their CI during the

weekends or evenings, when I see them. They wore CI most of the time

during the first two years and gradually stopped wearing their CI in

the 3rd year and afterward.

Several said they cannot put up with the headaches, dizziness, or

ringing in the ear/head while trying to wear the CI. After 5 to 8

years, some deaf people simply do not want to buy an upgrade

processor or replace their broken one.

Also, I know several deaf adults who had their CI 10 to 15 to 20

years ago and are not wearing their CI. With few electrodes or

channels, the CI was not helpful or simply stopped working. They said

they cannot get a reimplant in the same ear due to " fusion of the

internal device in the bone. "

For the latest post on providing support for your deaf friend who

wanted the implant " out, out, out " . It is possible is that she is

just hearing environmental sounds that does not make sense. So why

wear the CI? There is a good reason to get it out for her.

I waited several months until I see a post such as the recent one on

providing support, because most of us on this site are doing pretty

good with our CI as some had hearing or wore a hearing aid and are

very opinionated, smile. It is a different world for profound deaf

people. Many people said that NAD or profound deaf people are

against CI. There is a reason as they see some deaf adults and

children who do not do well with CI and stopped using them.

My audiologist said that some CI users do not come back for mapping

after the second or third year and most audiologists will not know if

the person is still wearing the CI or not. There is no reporting on

this type of information.

Maybe there is some truth in the statement that CI has failed for 50%

of the profound deaf users over the many years. I think the CI is

great for me, but I am hard of hearing wearing a hearing aid in one

ear. Being past President of Kansas Association of the Deaf and

going to the NAD conference for years, I saw both sides of the

debate.

Leonard Hall