Instruction in the care and maintenance of the system and training in listening to sound through the implant are provided at that time. Cochlear implant programs differ in the amount of time required to fit the device and the amount of training provided. In addition, patients are usually required to continue returning to the clinic at regular intervals for check-up and assessment. What to Expect From a Cochlear Implant Cochlear implants do not provide normal hearing. The majority of totally deaf patients who receive a cochlear implant are able to detect medium to loud sounds, including speech at comfortable listening levels.
Many patients can learn to recognize some familiar sounds.
For many patients, cochlear implants aid in communication by improving lip-reading ability. They are able to use clues from the sounds and rhythms of speech and combine these with what they see. Results vary for different individuals, depending on factors such as age at time of deafness, age at implant surgery, duration of deafness, status of the remaining auditory nerve fibers, training, etc. The cochlear implant clinics explain reasonable expectations for each situation. It is important to clearly understand the time commitments before making a decision about the cochlear implant.