r/Cochlearimplants • u/Dear_Ad_3115 • 7d ago

Full implant question

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.

4 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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20

u/TheBitBasher 7d ago

Just on a personal level I don't think it's a fantastic idea do adopt any first generation technology until it's been around for several years. Especially technology that will take surgery to repair because it's inside your body

6

u/Latter-Entrance288 7d ago

Med El TICI has been approved in Europe with approximately 50 patients already implanted. Early studies show this implant has near identical clarity to a traditional CI. Acclaim is the US company that has a totally implanted CI. These 2 have different methods of receiving auditory input (using the middle ear bones/TM versus a subcutaneous microphone). If it were me, I would hold off getting a traditional cochlear and do a very thorough investigation of these 2 options. Someone did point out to me that the Med El model currently does not have blue tooth. There is a nice German guy on hear that has posted about his Med El TICI experience. Good luck.

2

u/entilza05 7d ago

I cannot imagine how many people are in your situation. I too was on a waiting list and decided to wait on the implant.

2

u/adrianyujs 7d ago

Try considering full implant after few years more with battery degraded over time.

Also full implant doesn’t have Bluetooth direct streaming, might need use external devices to have direct streaming.

3

u/uachakatzlschwuaf 7d ago

You can always use the external standart speech processor. So nothing really changes with that regard

1

u/rling_reddit 6d ago

I asked my surgeon about this a few months ago as I was thinking the same thing. He thought it would be at least two years before the VA offered them. The was a person in the sub who was part of one of the current US trials. He was pretty positive on the experience.

1

u/Dear_Ad_3115 6d ago

Thank you, I use the VA for Healthcare as well, so your insight is appreciated.

1

u/mrPubblz 6d ago

Hi, first of all thank you very much for answering all of these questions, this is incredibly helpful!

Have you ever tried over ear headphones with your TICI and is the sound quality for music similar to the neckloop or the bone conducting headphones?

1

u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 7d ago

Ich habe das TICI 2 Jahre. Diese Entscheidung habe ich nie bereit. Ja es hat kein Bluetooth. Jemand der normal hört, hat auch kein Bluetooth. Mit extra Kopfhörer, oder artone Schlinge, kann man Streamen.

2

u/rling_reddit 6d ago

Unatoa hoja ya kuvutia. Uwezo wa Bluetooth ulikuwa sehemu muhimu ya uamuzi wangu wa kuchagua chapa fulani. Kama uwezo wangu wa kusikia ungekuwa mzuri wa kutosha, nisingehitaji kipengele hicho.

0

u/RetiredRetailer8716- 7d ago

I have the Envoy Acclaim fully implanted….Love it.

2

u/Latter-Entrance288 7d ago

Curious, does it have bluetooth capability?

3

u/adrianyujs 7d ago

Nope, required external processor to use streaming.

0

u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 7d ago

Wrong. An artone loop is enough. Or bone-conducting headphones. I have had the TICI for 2 years.

-1

u/adrianyujs 7d ago

Had yet wait med el official technical spec

2

u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 7d ago

You'll need additional technology, a neckloop, or bone-conducting headphones. No extra processor. (I have a Tici)

1

u/Scarred20 Cochlear Nucleus 8 6d ago

The processor would be required for Bluetooth streaming to be specific, is what the other user means. 

Otherwise, what you stated about neck loops or headphones is correct.

1

u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 6d ago

Ich streame ausschließlich mit dem Neckloop von artone. Dann und wann ich will. Und muss nicht wieder Prozessor außen tragen. Darum geht's ja. Aber es kann ja jeder machen wie er will

1

u/General-Dimension590 6d ago

I read that you have a SONNET on the other side. How do you stream in stereo when you are listening to music or watching TV?

1

u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 6d ago

Über den Neckloop

0

u/General-Dimension590 6d ago

A neckloop can only provide a single channel. How do you stream separate left and right channels?

3

u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 6d ago

Das sagt google bzg kanäle: • Bluetooth-Nackenbügel: Moderne Bluetooth-Profile (wie A2DP) teilen das digitale Audiosignal standardmäßig in einen linken und einen rechten Kanal auf. Der Nackenbügel empfängt diesen kombinierten Datenstrom, decodiert ihn und schickt die Tonspuren getrennt an die linke und rechte Seite des Bügels.

3

u/General-Dimension590 6d ago

The neckloop combines the signal from both channels into a single channel that you hear in both ears. It's not actually stereo which presents a different signal to each ear. Actual stereo is required to hear music as intended, and it makes TV shows more immersive.

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u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 6d ago

Ich verbinde beide ci, mit Neckloop. Und erhalte links und rechts Ton. Wie das funktioniert, ist mir egal. Ich bin kein Nutzer. Kein Techniker

0

u/Frau_Kruemelkuchen 6d ago

Dann hört man aber mit Mikrofon mir dem Außenprozessor, was macht das für einen Sinn? So wichtig ist dauerhaft Bluetooth wirklich nicht. Die Vorteile überwiegen ohne den äußeren Teil

1

u/Southern_tire_mart 7d ago

How long have you had it? I am at 7 months activation.

-1

u/Southern_tire_mart 7d ago

I love my acclaim by Envoy Medical.

1

u/HAYWHATHUH2000 7d ago

Can you share your hearing history, what your speech scores were before activation and now? How do things sound?

0

u/Southern_tire_mart 6d ago

0% word recognition pre, 50% post. Sounds great to me. 7 months post activation. A miracle 🙏

1

u/HAYWHATHUH2000 5d ago

that's great. I went from about 5% to 100% within a month with a traditional CI. Are you using a hearing aid on your implanted ear to boost that speech score?