Cochlear Implants: Better Hearing though Advanced Technology: What, When, and For Whom?

Advanced technology has made possible a wide array of assistive devices for the hearing impaired. Among these are cochlear implants, a device that combines electrodes surgically implanted into the inner ear (cochlea) with an external sound processor. The implant can restore hearing by stimulating the hearing nerve directly with electrical impulses, effectively bypassing a non-functional inner ear. This talk will include three Stanford clinicians who will discuss the technology of the devices, their effectiveness, and the appropriate candidates to receive them.

Speakers: Nikolas Blevins, MD, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, Stanford University Medical Center; Kay W. Chang, MD, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology, Stanford University Medical Center and by courtesy, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; Jannine Larky, MA, Director, Cochlear Implant Center, Stanford University School of Medicine.