KOCHI: The doctors here have given auditory rehabilitation to a three-year-old child, who suffered from congenital hearing impairment,through cochlear implant surgery.
John Paul from Mulanthuruthy, who underwent the surgery at the KIMS Hospital here in October 2016 and continued with speech therapy over a six-month period, has started speaking clearly having regained 100 per cent hearing, said a release from KIMS.
Dr Pramod Chirakkal, ENT surgeon, assisted by Dr Rajeev,anaesthetist, performed a six-hour bilateral cochlear implant surgery on John.
“It was only when John was around a year-old we suspected his hearing prowess and our worst fears were confirmed at a childcare clinic nearby. Since 2014, we had consulted several doctors regarding John’s lack of hearing in both the ears. But we felt Dr Pramod Chirakkal gave us the most reassuring and cost-effective counsel,” said Sunitha and Sunil, the parents.
John is all set to start school at the age of 5, like any normal child of his age. A cochlear implant is an electronic system which stimulates the nerve for hearing in the cochlear. It can give a sensation of sound to profoundly deaf children who have been unable to hear even when using the most powerful hearing aids available in the market.