Cochlear Implant

Primus Hospital Sets up Dept for Advanced Cochlear Implant Surgeries

Primus Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi has now set up a special department which boasts a range of specialists for providing the most advanced cochlear implant surgeries to patients. Renowned surgeon Professor JM Hans, who reportedly pioneered the minimal invasive Veria technique to cochlear implants in India, is heading the team.

"The team concept in cochlear implant evaluation is extremely important and it allows for an exchange of information between the surgeon and other members of the implant team and rehabilitation process. This includes audiologists, speech and language therapists, social workers, and psychologists," said Prof JM Hans, Director, ENT & Cochlear Surgery Department, Primus Super Specialty Hospital.

Prof Hans, who does implants with all the four implant systems-Advance Bionics, Med-El, Nuclues and MXN Digisonic, has more than 300 cochlear implant surgeries to his credit. The advanced Veria method was also started by Prof Hans in India, and has now been started, under his guidance, in over seven centers in India and SAARC countries. "Earlier the patient had to go abroad for this operation and spend around 25 lakhs. After the Veria method was introduced in India, the cost has reduced to Rs five to nine lakh," added Prof Hans.

According to studies conducted over the last few years, about one million Indians have been found to suffer from hearing problems and almost 25,000 infants are born with deafness every year (according to a 2003 report). "The most advanced Veria method is less invasive and has reduced the surgical as well as recovery time. The first phase of treatment through this method is of implanting the cochlear Implant, a platinum electronic device, in the brain. The second phase starts with the placement of a speech processor behind the ear after the wound has healed. The patient is then ready for speech therapy," Dr Hans added.

EH News Bureau