Dr. Balkany, director of the University of Miami Ear Institute and an expert in cochlear implantation, has traveled all over the United States and to more than a dozen countries at the request of the center's course participants. Among the countries in which he has performed surgery are Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Israel, South Korea, and Japan. As a training surgeon, he has assisted on procedures throughout the United States. Our goal is to translate innovative surgical techniques into practice in the community. The best way we can do that is by training physicians who can return to their communities and serve their patients as well as train other surgeons to share the benefit of these new procedures.
Physicians come from all over the United States and around the globe.
Most foreign surgeons come from Central and South America. Many Latin-American surgeons are sponsored by cochlear implant manufacturers, all of which have designated the University of Miami's center as their official training facility. Or we can bring a surgeon here, train him, and have him return to his country where he can do dozens and teach others as well. It just makes more sense to teach others and then have them, in turn, impart that knowledge to colleagues within their own communities. Unlike hearing aids, which simply amplify sound, implants bypass the defective cochlear hair cells by translating sound into electrical impulses, bringing the world of sound to many deaf patients.