News: From the Clinic #01: A solution for Anne

The expensive Cochlear implant was the only solution for Anne

From the Clinic #01: A solution for Anne

17/10/2015 - From the Clinic, Implants

A free implant helps Anne

Welcome to the first in what I hope will be a long series of small anecdotes from the clinic. We see a lot of patients over the course of the year and there are some remarkable stories amongst them – of their experiences and their results with hearing health diagnosis and treatment.

My first story is of Anne, one of our Cochlear recipients. She had her surgery very recently. Prior to the surgery the surgeon contacted me and said that due to the shape of the implant there was only a 50/50 chance that he would be able to insert the electrode where it needed to go. And even if he could Anne may not get the full benefit of the implant due to the positioning required in her case.

Anne started losing her hearing 30 years ago when she was first operated on for Otosclerosis. Otosclerosis is a form of bone overgrowth in the middle ear that causes progressive hearing loss. Two years ago it started to take a turn for the worse and her hearing dropped rapidly. The only solution for Anne with profound hearing loss was a Cochlear Implant. A Cochlear implant and processor does actually cost up to $30,000, and amount Anne, as a pensioner, could not afford. At Clarity Hearing Solutions we are now proud to be able to help those requiring implants by using a combination of private health insurance and Medicare to fully cover this amount. This meant we were able to help Anne finally afford the right treatment for her hearing loss.

What makes me even happier is that the surgeon called later that day with some great news. The surgery had been 100% successful and Anne is doing really well post-surgery looking forward to having her implant switched on in two weeks.

You can find out more about Cochlear on our website.

– Grant

All names have been changed to protect privacy, but every story on our From the Clinic series is based on real experiences of patients and clinicians at Clarity Hearing Solutions.

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