In Tamil Nadu, about two per cent of children, i.e., over two-million children are born without the ability to hear and speak. The reasons for children to being born this way are plenty.

Malnourishment of the mother who gives birth to a child, the new born getting infection right after birth and disease like jaundice can leave the child without the ability to hear and speak. However, there is still hope for such children, assures Dr. V. Aravintan, Head of Ear Nose Throat Department, (ENT), Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).

“At CMCH we perform the Cochlear Implant (CI) on children who are profoundly deaf or who are hard of hearing, thus giving the child a new lease of life,”Dr. Aravintan says.

Through this surgery, a microphone and some electronics are implanted behind the ear of the child. These devices transmit signals to an array of electrodes placed in the cochlea. Such signals in turn stimulate the cochlear nerve.

The first Cochlear Implant surgery was performed at the CMCH in August 2013. So far about 135 implants have been performed, all free of cost. The entire surgery costs a whopping Rs. 7 lakh. This includes the cost of carrying out the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerised Tomography (CT) scan, the surgery and rehabilitation of the child.

Before this procedure is performed on children, the child is checked for about 10 parameters, one of them being anatomy of the ear. Another crucial parameter that doctors look for is to check how the nerve that sends the signal to the brain is responding. Yet another parameter that doctors have a close eye on is the development of the child’s brain.

If the medical team examining the child is convinced that the child will benefit from the surgery the team sends a request for the IC surgery of the child to be sponsored. This request is sent to the Cochlear Committee in Chennai. Once the board members of the committee are satisfied with the medical reports (of the child) that are presented, the surgery is sanctioned.

“CMCH has performed about 135 Cochlear Implant surgeries since 2013. Out of these, 129 procedures have been performed under the scheme and for six surgeries our team of doctors have managed to raise funds for patients as the cost is too high and parents of the child could not afford to pay for the surgery,” Dr. Edwin Joe, Dean, CMCH, shares.

Dr. Aravintan adds that the committee in Chennai approves the surgery only for children who are below the age of six. “The six children were over six years, so our team of doctors ensured that we arranged for funds and the surgeries were carried out as scheduled,” Dr. Aravintan says.

The youngest child on whom the Cochlear Implant surgery was performed was just one-year and 10-days old and the oldest was 19 years of age.