Soap Opera Character Gets Cochlear Implant

Editor: You know something has gone mainstream when it shows up on a soap opera. By that measure, cochlear implants have arrived. Here's the press release from Advanced Bionics.

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VALENCIA, Calif., Nov. 20, 2006 - "The Young and the Restless" character Devon Hamilton (Bryton McClure) will soon hear the world around him in a whole new way. During the episode airing Monday, November 20, Devon will receive a cochlear implant, an implanted medical device that will functionally restore his hearing. Advanced Bionics, a leading innovator of bionic technologies to treat deafness and chronic pain, donated the cochlear implant device.

When the storyline of CBS' Number One daytime drama left Devon completely deaf after suffering from meningitis, the troubled college student and his foster family were challenged to learn sign language to help him adjust to the sudden silence. Told by doctors that a cochlear implant was his only option to ever hear again, Devon knew that having the surgery was something he had to do.

"With so many things happening in Devon's world that requires his hearing - including being a music major in college - getting a cochlear implant was the best way to help keep his life on the right track," said McClure, who has played Devon since April, 2004. "For anyone who loses the sense of hearing, the decision to get a cochlear implant is an important and highly personal one. It is a phenomenal innovation that holds so much promise for the deaf."

"'The Young and the Restless' is sending a powerful message about cochlear implants and their ability to help maximize hearing potential," said Jim Miller, president of Advanced Bionics Auditory Division. "Hearing loss and the ways in which it can be treated are significant social issues. Advanced Bionics applauds 'The Young and the Restless' for its commitment to social responsibility."

After undergoing the cochlear implant surgery, Devon's device will be activated, or "turned-on" in the December 6 episode.

"I am honored to have a storyline with such importance and meaning as this," continued McClure. "It is a challenge, but certainly one that I hope others will learn from."

"The Young and the Restless" has been the Number One rated daytime drama for more than 17 years and is in its 34th season. The show is broadcast weekdays (12:30-1:30 PM; 11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and is produced by Bell Dramatic Serial Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Advanced Bionics Corporation, the neuromodulation group of Boston Scientific Corporation, is headquartered in Valencia, Calif. The company was acquired in 2004 by Boston Scientific, the worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties.