Patients with severe hearing loss up to deafness are indicated for the introduction of a cochlear implant. Before the operation itself, but also after it, the patient must undergo a series of examinations and checks. Therefore, good parental cooperation is essential in the case of pediatric patients.
After the detection of a hearing defect, it is necessary to start rehabilitation with hearing aids as soon as possible, even in the case of planned cochlear implantation. Patients are therefore monitored at the phoniatrics clinic. Logopedic care and regular check-ups to monitor progress in the development of speech and hearing are also important.
Before the surgery itself, patients must undergo a neurological examination, including an imaging method (MR or CT) of the brain and an eye examination. As a standard, a genetic examination is also carried out to determine the possible cause of hearing loss, which in some cases may also be associated with other disabilities, and their early detection may affect the prognosis of the given disease in the patient.
The operation takes place under general anesthesia, the patient is admitted the day before the operation, we discharge patients to home care on the 4th-7th. postoperative day. The first adjustment of the processor with a biomedical engineer and a speech therapist takes place 3-4 weeks after surgery. The first checks are frequent – once every 2-4 weeks. The interval is gradually lengthened until we follow patients at least once a year.
Rehabilitation in the home environment according to the speech therapist's instructions is also important, especially in the first months to years. Caring for pediatric patients after cochlear implantation is therefore time-consuming, but it allows for the development or improvement of speech and hearing, and thus their inclusion in everyday life.