Cochlear Implant – Stories

Luckily we recorded interviews with new cochlear implant users between 2000 and 2002. Now it is a decade later and they reminisce about their entire experience. We love to see our patients so happy.

Initial Stimulation

Here at the University of Illinois-Chicago, we place cochlear implants into ears that are not able to hear, even with a hearing aid. Three to 6 weeks after the surgical implantation, the audiologist activates the cochlear implant for the first time. This activation is called “the initial stimulation”. We are showing you here adults and children who have consented to have their initial stimulation video recorded. In the case of children, this will be the first time they have ever heard out of that ear. In the case of adults, this is the first time they are hearing again after many years of silence. Most of all, you see the joy of them and their families upon hearing again.