Cochlear Implants

Risks of Cochlear Implants in Children

As there are many benefits in having cochlear implants, there are also risks. According to

the University of Maryland Medical Center (2014), the surgery can be the prime contributor from

which mini risks overflow. A few risks that follow after surgery will vary from person to person.

There may be complications with the facial nerves in which the patient will lack movement in

face structures. The patients may experience fatigue and possible internal bleeding. Other risks

may occur in response to the procedure (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2014). The

surgery is a delicate procedure. Patients may even reject the implantation due to complications or

a sense of weakness in the body.

It is possible for the internal blood to build up, damage to the

head where patient will become light headed, a red rash may erupt, and muscle movement and

control on the face can be difficult. Besides the set of risks arising from the surgery, there are

more. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (2014), there are disadvantages

that can come directly from the cochlear device. The device may carry some technical issues

which causes difficulties with the processing or batteries. The implant will no longer be of good

use for the child. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (2014), another

possible disadvantage is being diagnosed with meningitis. According to the University of

Maryland Medical Center, a large number of kids who had a cochlear implant placed before they

reached six years of age, acquired meningitis. There are 3 factors that connect cochlear devices

with the bacterial infectious disease that are present more frequently in cochlear implanted

children than in children without the device.

Children acquiring meningitis was since there are different kinds of cochlear devices that

gave children the infectious disease, meningitis. Finally, kids at a higher risk of the infectious

disease were those who had issues with the inside section of their ears, or who had a release of

extra fluid from their spine. According to Sensorymedic (2013), other possible issues with

having a cochlear implant are: pounding of the head, a red rash, no sensation behind ears,

problems with taste buds where one is unable to properly label the taste of the food in his mouth-

no sensation of taste buds. These difficulties come from the surgical procedure. Since the device

is placed near the brain, that area is sensitive and can hinder the surrounding areas. One may

have the inability to stand or walk without wanting to fall, imbalance.

The release of liquid from

the spinal cord is also present. There is also a possible chance of there being residual hearing

loss. According to Sensorymedic (2013), when getting a cochlear implant, it is surgically placed

in the cochlea. During this process it is possible for complication to occur during surgery but not

in all cases. Once the device is in the cochlea, a little bit of hearing is lost.

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (2014), knowing the brain

is surrounded by fluid, surgeons find the surgical procedure to be challenging,especially when

done on a child whose brain suture and the surrounding areas are sensitive. The child can

develop what is called to be a cerebrospinal fluid leakage. The liquid from the brain leaks

through a tiny hole that is formed in an area in the inner ear. Similar to the brain, the cochlea also

contains a large amount of fluid. During the surgical procedure there can be a possibility of the

inner ear leaking through a microscopic hole that was formed during the

surgery. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (2014), several more

risks

are possible to occur during the surgical procedure. At times some of these risks may not occur

but other times they can. Tinnitus is one disturbing risk that a lot of individuals complain about.

It is at times intolerable for adults and for a child to experience a constant, loud ringing in the

ears can be both painful and intolerable as well.

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (2014), during or after the

surgery, numbness can occur around the ear. The patient will begin to loose feeling in their ears.

Reparative granuloma is another risk that can occur. It is the outcome of the area surrounding the

placement of the cochlear implant becoming inflamed. Not only will the upper portion of the

body such as the brain and ears be effected, but there will be some disturbances in the individuals

taste. The taste buds of the middle ear will be effected due to the injury of the tongue’s sensation

of taste which eventually works its way up to the middle ear. According to the Department of

United States Food and Drug Administration (2014), there may be other risks that can be unseen

and other risks associated with the device as well. A few other risks include hearing sounds

differently. Those with normal hearing conduct good impressions on sounds they hear. Whereas

those with a hearing loss and a cochlear implant have difficulty associating a sound with an

object. Although cochlear implants are meant to enhance the individuals’ hearing, it will

not

make the individual’s hearing loss disappear. With having cochlear implants, the child may

experience artificial sound quality which can be disturbing since they will be hearing things and

not receive the best sound quality. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration

(2014), there is a possible chance the cochlear implant can diminish the remainder of hearing the

implanted ear has. It is a huge risk now for the individual to make because with the help of the

device the hearing will be enhanced but if they decide to remove the implants at a later time, the

individual will not be able to hear the little they could prior to the surgery.

Cochlear implants causes the individual to hear by sending electrical impulses to the

nerves. Although there is no harm being committed during the process, doctors are not aware of

what the outcome will be in the long run. After a long duration of time of electrical signals being

sent to the nerves, it is possible for there to be an issue but doctors are not aware of what those

issues will be. According to the Food and Drug Administration (2014), cochlear implants may

effect the individual’s lifestyle. There is a possibility for the cochlear implant to set off theft

detection systems, cell phones, and disrupt security systems. One crucial possibility is acquiring

static. Children need to be extra cautious of obtaining static electricity attracted from their

cochlear implants. The United States Food and Drug Administration (2014), advises children

and adults to disable the processor and headset from the ear before coming into contact with any

electrical devices. Televisions and computer screens are two of the most used electrical devices,

especially from children. Many find it a burden removing and assembling the pieces of device,

but it will prevent damage to the cochlear implant.

The task of the cochlear device is to activate the auditory nerve. if the auditory nerve of a
child does not function properly, the cochlear implant is no use, it will not work (Lee, 2007).

Another disadvantage is that a cochlear implant does not necessarily reconstruct hearing to

100%. It does help hearing a little but not completely (Lee, 2007). Besides a cochlear implant not

treating hearing loss with 100% accuracy, it also may not enable each child to perform the same

way. For example, one child can hear the sound of an instrument playing while another child

cannot. This factor depends on the type of cochlear device being utilized, the degree of the

child’s hearing loss, how well the cochlear device has an effect on the child as well on the how

well the child is able to be cautious of sound (Lee, 2007).