The procedure can be performed in either an inpatient or outpatient setting and carries the normal risks of major ear surgery requiring general anesthesia. The surgeon cuts the skin behind the ear and drills a hole in the bone. The electrodes are threaded into the inner ear and the receiver coil is placed in the bone behind the ear. The skin is then placed over the receiver and sutured closed. A pressure bandage is wrapped around the patient s head to reduce swelling around the incision.
Most patients spend the night in the hospital.
The next day, the bandage is removed and typically the patient is discharged that day. The time involved to complete programming the speech processor varies across user and cochlear implant systems. During the fitting session, the headpiece and microphone are placed on the patient s head. The speech processor is connected to the headpiece and the audiologist s computer. Individual electrodes are then turned on and users are asked to tell the audiologist each time they hear sound and to indicate the loudness of the sound.