According to Healthy Hearing’s article What Surgeries can Correct Hearing Loss?, “Currently, surgeries for hearing loss can only correct very specific losses while people with the most common types still benefit the most from simply wearing hearing aids.”
The article looks at a few surgeries that are available for different types of hearing loss, and explains how they work and who they may benefit:
Cochlear Implants
Type of hearing loss: Sensorineural hearing loss
Ideal candidates: Adults and children with severe sensorineural hearing loss who have tried hearing aids without success. It is a highly invasive and costly surgery and therefore reserved for the few with the most severe hearing loss.
How it works: “A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged part of the auditory system to directly stimulate the auditory nerve.”
Pressure Equalization (PE) Tubes
Type of hearing loss: Conductive hearing loss
Ideal candidates: Toddlers, children, and adults who suffer from chronic ear infections. It “may also be recommended to correct hearing problems associated with malformed eardrums or Eustachian tube, Down Syndrome or cleft palate”. This is an outpatient procedure and frequently performed.
How it works: “Tiny cylinders are placed through the eardrum by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon in order to allow air into the middle ear.”
Stapedectomy
Type of hearing loss: Conductive hearing loss
Ideal candidates: People with Stapedial otosclerosis, which causes conductive hearing loss. Note that this surgery is not for those with Cochlear otosclerosis, as it causes sensorineural hearing loss.
How it works: “A surgical procedure which implants a prosthetic device designed to bypass abnormal hardening of the bone tissue in the middle ear.”
So yes, there are surgeries for hearing loss. However, the surgeries available only help a small percentage of people. If you aren’t among that small percentage, don’t worry- there are all kinds of hearing aids available that can help you hear better and live better.
We can help find the best treatment option for you at Center for Hearing. Contact us to make an appointment today!