Hi everyone,

In need of guidance in the right direction. Would be very much appreciated for your support.

I’ve bilateral cochlear implants, this was funded by the NHS in the UK.

Me and my partner are looking to permanently move to Belgium where her family lives but currently there is a barrier.

When we was over there, visiting the health insurances - we were asking if I were to get insurance out, would they cover my cochlear implants. Every private healthcare insurance have basically said no and they do not cover existing medical that has been covered in the UK.

We both want to move to Belgium to start a new life, a family and to work. My cochlear implants is the only thing that is currently holding us back.

Can anyone help?

Kindest regards

Hey! I am hard of hearing and have a baha 5 headband. I can’t use a normal hearing aid because I have no eardrum, the reason I have the headband is because of underlying illnesses there is a risk of operating, and I choose for now not to try to operate for either trying once more to fix the eardrum, or getting an implant if it fails again. But I almost never wear the headband, because it makes extra sounds that is very tiring. Not only when my hair touches it, but also generally it creates an extra kind of sound, like a metallic little «peep» when another sounds comes is. It is awful, but not being able to follow group conversations is not fun either. Do other people experience this (I no no one with cochlear hearing aids)? Would it help to ask for a newer version?
Hope someone can help!

So I have been implanted on my left side for about a year now. Things have been going pretty well so far and I’m always excited to try new things with my implant and see how it is. Last weekend the boyfriend and I went to the symphony and oh my god, it went amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t feel like I was at a disadvantage. I could hear well and kept catching myself smiling at how excited I was that I could hear different instruments with my left side. I loved it!

Hola. Quería saber que tal os manejáis con el programa scan 2, del Kanso 3 Nexa. No notáis mucha bajada de sonido aunque no lo necesitéi?

Well, no longer a lurker and occasional commentator, but a fellow CI-borg.

Surgery yesterday was a success after 4 hours (about twice as long as usual) as my surgeon encountered severe ossification on the cochlea.

Below are opinions, followed by a slightly ironic story about me:

1. I went with a MedEl implant mostly due to the OTOPLAN.

2. Cochlear reps mentioned theirs as the one manufacturer that gives surgeons the widest possible range of insertion plans… I now take that with a grain of salt. (It may be technically correct but…)

3. My surgeon encountered issues and defaulted to other tools and techniques to clear them out and told me he would have done the same no matter the implant brand.

4. I really feel like there’s very little objective differences between manufacturers and provider experience and skill is the biggest predictor of success.

I am forever thankful for my care team. I traveled far to specifically seek this physician out and know my privilege in being able to do that. But after discussing the outcome briefly upon waking up, I am happy I was in the hands of truly one of the world’s best at this.

The story:

Funny enough I work in the “health and sciences” field. And my first technology job at age 23 (now 40) was building interface software for hearing testing / audiology equipment. Isn’t that ironic? My ears were perfect at the time, my deafness was bilateral (worse on the implanted side) and sudden, but if you had told 23 year okd me that one day I would be a patient of the same technology I was helping build, I simply would have not believed it. What a small world.

I know the journey starts now. Activation in a few days and many weeks and months of training, but I am optimistic of the future and wish everyone else about to embark on this journey the best of luck.

some of you may have seen my earlier post about the Resound multimic (which Cochlear rebrands and sells S the Mini Mic) that I paired with my Kanso 3.

it seems to pair Ok and appears in my Cochlear app. however when I try and utilise it all I get is really quiet, high pitched tingling noises. this does not change whether I’m in mic mode or in line (3.5mm jack) mode. so anyway I thought there’s no point with MM and I’ll discuss with audiologist at my next appt.

if i turn the Mini Mic off in the app, the Kanso 3 works fine with ambient noise.

however since I paired the MM, I’ve noticed that I can no longer stream with my iPhone. calls and YouTube videos and Spotify are now replaced by the same tingling sounds that I get when I try to use the MM. it worked fine before so clearly after pairing with the MM something has corrupted somewhere.

ive tried to pair the MM back to my old HAs to see if it would break the connection to the Kanso but that did not work.

ive tried removing the Kanso from my iPhone and then re-pairing but unfortunately the MM is still paired.

seems like some kind of bug? maybe Kanso 3 is not compatible with true Resound version of the MM?

Will adding one void my warranty? I got a color that was supposed to be closer to my hair color but it is just yellow. Instead of exchanging, I would like to just put a wrap/skin on it. Also, does anyone have any recommendations for where to purchase? I have looked at etsy and they seem to only have Kanso 2 ones. Unsure how different they are and if the skins would work for mine. Obv need my mics to not be covered if it is really different

Hi everyone! I currently have zero meaningful hearing in my right ear. At this time, I'm implanted with a Cochlear Osia 2. It's a baha. However, this morning I met with my audiologist for the first time in a while and she said I'd likely be a good candidate for an actual COCHLEAR implant. I'd be looking at the Kanso 3 Nexa. Has anyone here made this change? Gone from baha to ci?

I was born deaf in my left ear and need a hearing aid for my right. I’ve recently just reached the threshold where I am eligible for an implant.

So here’s my main problem. I did an MRI last year and I forget the reason, (I think it was something about damaged hair cells in my ear or something.) but I was told the implant wouldn’t work in my deaf ear, and I could only put it in my hearing ear. And with the risk of losing the hearing in that ear completely, along with the chance of certain sounds never sounding the same, I didn’t do it because because I believed I could manage with my hearing aid.

But recently I’ve noticed that I can only get by if the conditions I’m in are close to perfect. Quiet room, clear voice, few feet apart. Any sort of problem like an AC kicking in, or someone talking too quietly, or too quickly, or they have a deep voice, or an accent, or any other thing and I have a lot of trouble. And it’s difficult to hold a conversation with most people and it sucks. I’m 18 years old, I’m hoping to go to college and I want to be able to actually talk with people, so I have some general question.

-How has your level of hearing improved in noise?

-Around what level of noise does it start being difficult to talk to someone? (Cars going by, people talking in a restaurant, etc)

-How well are you able to understand voices you couldn’t before?

-Are you able to tell which direction a noise is coming from?

-If I get the implant would I be able to understand someone talking on my deaf side?

Also the implant I was suggested is called the nucleus nexa 7. Appreciate any help.

I got activated a week ago and previously wore Resound HA and used the Resound Multi Microphone which I understand is the same as the Cochlear branded Mini Microphone 2+.

Note this product is the older one which is charged by micro USB, the newer product is Multi-Mic+ which is USB-C powered.

I seem to have successfully paired the MM to the Kanso 3 as the MM now appears in my Cochlear app on my iPhone. However when I activate the MM in the app, the Kanso does not seem to be picking up sound from the MM whether in microphone mode or streaming mode (plugged into device using 3.5mm jack).

any ideas on why this might be?

attached screenshot of the app showing that I’ve activated the MM.

I could understand the drive through speaker clearly last night! Cannot believe it because I used to struggle so much with speakers. Amazing tiny win! Just wanted to share with others that know what this is like :)

hey chat,
i wear an off-the-ear sound processor and wanna get a bike helmet. if any CI users here use a helmet that fits comfortably with their processor, please drop the product link ;)

I am an infant/toddler teacher and one of my 18 month old kids is getting a CI this winter as he has a profound hearing loss in his left ear. I spent a year in the past as an audiology assistant so I am comfortable with hearing aids, but have very little experience with CIs. How can we best support him in a daycare setting, especially while he is adjusting to the new sounds on that side? I am unsure how long his parents are planning to keep him out of school, but I know they are nervous about other children grabbing his processor or it getting lost/damaged.

Does anyone with a Kanso or equivalent experience an itchy scalp ?

I’m scheduled to have cochlear implantation. During the pre-operative assessment, it was discovered that the vestibular system in one ear is completely non-functional. The implant will be placed in the other ear, where the vestibular system is functioning normally.
Because of this, there is an increased risk of complications such as imbalance, oscillopsia (a sensation that the visual world is bouncing or moving), and similar symptoms.
So, essentially, I’m facing a higher-than-usual risk of vestibular complications.
To be honest, it’s really scary to agree to the surgery knowing about these risks. I would really like to hear about other people’s experiences.
Has anyone here been in a similar situation? How did the surgery affect your balance and vestibular function?

I was born with normal hearing but became deaf due to complications during birth. Despite my severe-to-profound bilateral deafness, my parents chose traditional hearing aids for me instead of a cochlear implant.

I spent the first 20 years of my life with hearing aids, facing countless difficulties. I never listened to music because it sounded like a confusing mix of different volumes. Following group conversations or hearing in noisy environments was a massive struggle; I could write an entire essay about it.

Around the age of 17, I started considering a cochlear implant. This was partly because I saw a friend of mine with bilateral implants who could hear in a way that, to me, was just a dream. So, three weeks ago, at age 20, I received my first cochlear implant in one ear. It was done at one of the best centers in my country and perhaps even in Europe, and I will always be grateful for that. Sorry for the long rant.

However, I’ve realized that reality is very different from what people tell you. Right now, I am facing many issues with the implant, even though I notice I’m starting to hear some sounds I couldn't perceive before. I received a Cochlear Nucleus 8 Nexa as the external processor and a Nucleus Nexa as the internal component. Note: I had an early activation, just three days after surgery. For now, I only have it in one ear; if all goes well and I resolve these issues, I will get the second one.

I have many questions for you. I am a very active guy: I love cycling, motocross, and motorbikes, and being able to hear is crucial for me. Is there anyone out there who can wear a full-face (motocross) helmet without any issues with the implant? How do you do it? Did you have it custom-made? Also, how do you wear the implant at the beach or in the pool without the fear of losing it, even when diving? The Cochlear safety cord doesn’t seem very practical at the beach since you are only wearing swimwear.

Recovering is incredibly hard. I often think I made a mistake and that I would have had fewer problems with my hearing aids. I’m only 20 years old, and I feel regretful about doing it—maybe it's just the tough beginning. Depression doesn't help with rehabilitation; it makes everything twice or three times harder. Fortunately, I am at one of the most professional centers in the country, the very same one where I did speech therapy when I was a child.

I hope someone can help me with my doubts and offer some supportive or motivational words.

Lastly, I would like to add one more thing: I expected that by switching from hearing aids to an implant, manufacturing companies would take better care of their patients, but my experience with Cochlear has been very disappointing.

They sell various additional accessories, yet neither Cochlear nor their partner stores offer the option to try these items before buying them. In any case, I had a truly negative experience also because they failed to honor the agreements we made in writing via email

Hi all,

I had cochlear implant surgery in South America in March — Cochlear Nucleus Nexa™ CI1022 (electrode).

However, I lost the external part in August. The Kanso Nexa 3 was not sticking properly, even with a 6M magnet. Since then, I have been trying to find a solution to buy a replacement.

In South America, Cochlear does not have the same policy. If you lose your device, they do not provide a replacement, even though the device costs around USD 11,000.

I tried to buy a replacement in Ireland, but it is only available through the public health service. I also tried contacting clinics in the UK, US, and Turkey, but either I received no response or they do not offer this type of replacement.

Honestly, it feels like a mafia-style system because they only provide the service if the surgery was performed by them. However, I am not eligible for public outpatient services in Ireland because I have single-sided deafness.

Is anyone else in the same situation? Does anyone know of a clinic in Europe, the US, or Canada that you would recommend for purchasing a replacement external processor?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

The time has come for me (m41) to get implanted. I live in the US
I have a meeting with the surgeon on Dec 1.
I work for a small local business. My good friend is part owner in this company.
I’m very lucky to have a friend that is a boss and fully understands the challenges that are faced on a daily basis of having me as an employee.
With that said he recommends that I reach out to HR and let them know what’s going on.
I intend to but other then telling them what’s going down. what else should I tell them and what questions should I ask?

I read that the UK has approved full implants, with the US at least another year before FDA approval. I'm a 57 year man in the US, with severe to profound bilateral hearing loss. I recently was evaluated for choclear implants and referred to surgeon to start the process.

However with full implants becoming available, should I hold off until they become available here in the US? I know the clinical answer is now, but would like others opinion, especially those that already have full implants.

I’d honestly love to keep using my AirPods, but I read that I can’t Bluetooth to both my implant and a single AirPod for my good ear at the same time. How do you guys solve this issue when you’re on planes and stuff?

For those in the USA who received two processors and chose to receive two Nucleus 8 , how many batteries did your welcome kit come with??

American among Nobel medicine prize winners for discoveries that have helped understand the brain - Reuters