Newswise — Holmdel, NJ – December 18, 2017 – Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center is proud to announce that it has expanded services to include cochlear implant surgery to help individuals with moderate to profound hearing loss who are not receiving enough benefit from a hearing aid or aids. Cochlear implants replace the function of damaged inner ears and are designed to mimic natural hearing.
“Cochlear implants work differently than hearing aids,” says John Roche, M.D., FACS, a board certified adult and pediatric otolaryngologist at Bayshore Medical Center. “Hearing aids may help to make sounds louder, but as hearing loss progresses, do not do enough to help make sounds clearer. Cochlear implants help to give that clarity, especially in noisy environments.”
Internal implants offer options of electrode selections to fit a person’s hearing needs. By bypassing the damaged portion of the inner ear, a cochlear implant stimulates the hearing nerve directly and helps to make sounds both louder and clearer so speech and surrounding sounds are more easily understood.
“At Bayshore Medical Center, we are continuously working to bring valuable services to the community,” says Timothy Hogan, FACHE, president of Bayshore Medical Center and Riverview Medical Center. “Hearing loss is becoming a large public health issue and we are excited to be able to help our community better hear the world around them.”
Cochlear implants have improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the world by providing access to sound. Research has shown that adults receiving cochlear implants understand sentences on average almost seven times better than they could with hearing aids.
“If you suspect that you may have hearing loss, it’s important to be evaluated by a physician,” says Dr. Roche. “Cochlear implants are just one of many options available to help improve hearing, but hearing loss can be degenerative, so it’s important to seek treatment when you first start noticing the symptoms.”
Symptoms of hearing loss include the following:
- Having difficulty hearing conversations, especially with background noise
- Frequently asking people to repeat themselves
- Misunderstanding what people say
- Having trouble hearing on the phone
- Turning the TV volume up louder than others in the room prefer
- Feeling that people mumble when speaking
- Struggling to hear sounds of nature such as birds chirping or rain falling
- Finding yourself agreeing, smiling or nodding during conversations because you’re unsure of what’s been said
- Withdrawing from conversations because it’s too difficult to hear
- Reading lips to understand what people are saying
For more information about cochlear implants or other surgical services offered at Bayshore Medical Center, please call 732-739-5962.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center
Bayshore Medical Center is a 211-bed not-for-profit community hospital located in Holmdel, New Jersey, providing health care programs and services in all major medical disciplines, including: emergency medicine, cardiac catheterization, surgical services, wound care, sleep services, diagnostic imaging, women's services with digital mammography, as well as a designated primary stroke center. Its’ Center for Bariatrics is one of the most comprehensive in the region offering free informational sessions, pre-surgical education and evaluation, personal guidance through the surgical process, nutritional support, exercise components and support groups. For more information, visit www.bayshorehospital.org.
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