Cochlear Implants fitted on two babies at SUMUM

Bhubaneswar: Technology has presented two tiny tots from remote parts of Odisha the gift of hearing as they underwent successful Cochlear Implant surgery at the SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) recently.

The children, belonging to Keonjhar district, were unable to hear and speak from birth and the parents brought them to SUMUM for consultation and further treatment.

Dr. Radhamadhab Sahu, the hospital’s Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of ENT and Skull Base Surgery, asked the parents to get through few key investigations before advising Cochlear Implant (CI) surgery.

The surgery by posterior tympanotomy method, a minimally invasive procedure which required a very small incision and resulted in less pain, was conducted on the children, Dr. Sahu revealed ahead of the World Hearing Day on March 3.

“The technique helps in quick recovery. Both the implants were successfully placed and switched on after 21 days,” he said.

The hospital’s Audiologist Ms. Lopamudra Tripathy said the children will have to undergo speech therapy for three months.

Dr. Sahu said 80 per cent of the needs of people worldwide having hearing impairment remained unmet leading to high economic loss. “Changing mindset relating to ear and hearing care is crucial to improving and mitigating the cost of unaddressed hearing loss,” he said.

“CI is the gold standard surgery for patients with severe to profound deafness. The implant, a small electronic device (electrode) which is placed in the inner ear, improves the capabilities of people with limited or no ability to hear,” he said adding the WHO theme for this year was ‘Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all.’

Dr. Sahu said government schemes like the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) and Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) were actively helping hearing disabled children to turn over a new leaf in their lives free of cost.