Cochlear Implant Center

​​​​​​​The Cochlear Implant Center at Boys Town National Research Hospital serves children and adults with severe or profound hearing loss through our cochlear implant program. If your child is deaf or hard of hearing, or you know an adult who is not benefiting from hearing aids, cochlear implants may be an option.

Clinical Services

Our cochlear implant clinic services include multi-disciplinary intervention for cochlear implant candidates and recipients, including support for their families. The comprehensive team of otolaryngologists​, neurotologists, clinical audiologists, speech-pathologists and counselors work together to provide the best medical, clinical and follow-up care​ specifically tailored for each individual patient. The cochlear implant program offers the following clinical services:

• Audiology
• Otology, Radiology and ​​​Cochlear Implant Surgery
• Parent-Infant Program
• Speech-Language and Aural (Re)Habilitation Services​
  
• Tele-therapy and Educational Consultation
• Counseling and Psychological Services
• Preschool Program
• Behavioral and Dev​elopmental Evaluations

Our team will be with you every step of the way – from making the decision for surgery to maximizing personal outcomes with a cochlear implant.

Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program

Boys Town National Research Hospital is internationally known for serving children with hearing loss. Our professional staff has extensive training and experience. We tailor our services individually for every patient. Learn more​ about cochlear implants for children.

Adult Cochlear Implant Program

Approximately 50% of our cochlear implant recipients are adult patients. We are committed to providing the best service possible to our patients through all stages of life.​​ Learn more about cochlear implants for adults.

How Does a Cochlear Implant Work?

​The cochlear implant is an electronic device that can provide a sense of sound to a person who is deaf or profoundly hard-of-hearing. This type of device is very different from a hearing aid, which serves only to amplify sound. A cochlear implant transforms sounds into electrical signals and transmits these signals directly to the auditory nerve of the inner ear, bypassing any damaged structures in the ear that are impeding normal hearing.

Hearing for the First Time

As a service for patient families, the Boys Town H​​​ospital's Cochlear Implant Team is the first to offer live audio and visual web casting of a cochlear implant programming session so that family, friends and loved ones can witness the first time a patient hears sounds, from anywhere in the world.