“Getting my cochlear implant was one of the best decisions I ever made. The improvement in my quality of life is better than I could have hoped for, and I have Dr. Greene and Dr. Hanna to thank for it.”
Over the last 15 years, my hearing – especially in my left year – continued to get worse and worse going from moderate to severe to profound hearing loss. I tried different types of hearing aids, all high-end, and all the “latest and best.” None worked very well. Once my hearing tests indicated there was only a small amount of low frequency hearing remaining in my left ear, I was told hearing aids were no longer effective at all as my speech understanding was basically zero from that ear.
Having been to ENT Associates before for other issues, I met with Dr. Scott Greene to discuss a cochlear implant. Both Dr. Greene and Dr. Hanna were extremely knowledgeable, positive, and answered all my questions and concerns on the first visit, and I felt confident I would get the best care. As I was getting a cochlear implant only on my left side, one of the concerns I had was about the potential for perceiving sounds quite differently from my left ear vs. my unaided right. Both Dr. Greene and Dr. Hanna felt I would be able to adjust to this well and they were right.
My outpatient surgery went very well, and Dr. Greene was even able to save what little hearing remained in my left ear! Once my cochlear device was turned on, I could immediately hear. At first, speech sounded a bit tinny or robotic which I was told by Dr. Hanna is common, and that my brain would adjust. She was absolutely right, and after a while I noticed little difference at all as she continued to adjust the cochlear implant over the next few months after surgery.
Best of all, testing showed my speech perception in my left ear alone went from zero to almost 70 percent! Also, the TV streamer which channels sound directly to my cochlear means I can again watch TV with my wife at a normal volume level which is great for both of us.
Even though I still have some moderate hearing loss in my right ear, I no longer have to use a hearing aid on that side as the cochlear implant provides that much benefit!
Getting my cochlear implant was one of the best decisions I ever made. The improvement in my quality of life is better than I could have hoped for, and I have Dr. Greene and Dr. Hanna to thank for that.