- Cochlear implant can also improve the mental health of the patient.
Doctors at a private hospital in Delhi have restored the hearing ability of a 52-year-old patient with the help of ‘cochlear implant’. Apart from being blind, this patient is also suffering from schizophrenia. Doctors say that this procedure can also help in improving the mental health of the patient, because it will enable him to reconnect with his surrounding environment.
According to a statement issued by Max Super Specialty Hospital-Dwarka, the patient had lost his eyesight due to untreated cataract seven years ago. Recently, after a viral infection, he lost hearing in both ears. Due to this he was almost completely cut off from the outside world. Given the patient’s condition, necessary tests including Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) were performed under anesthesia to assess the severity of hearing loss and determine his suitability for a ‘cochlear implant’.
How did the ability to hear come back?
A multidisciplinary team of otolaryngologists (ENT), anaesthesiologists, audiology and psychiatry performed the ‘cochlear implant’ surgery in both the patient’s ears. During this, special care was taken to ensure that medicines do not affect the mental condition of the patient. The implant’s sound processor was activated under an ‘early switch-on protocol’ on the third day after surgery, whereas this is usually done three to four weeks later. This helped the patient to respond to sounds sooner.
Dr. Sumit Mrig, Director of ‘Department of ENT and Cochlear Implant Surgery’ of the hospital, said that after such operations, patients start reconnecting with their surrounding environment, which can improve the mental condition. He said that hearing loss in adults can often lead to depression.