Cochlear Has Provided 120,000 Nucleus(R) Cochlear Implants

Editor: It seems that it wasn't too long ago that cochlear implants were pretty rare. Now Cochlear Corporation alone has provided 120,000 of them! Here's the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New York Resident Expected To Regain Hearing in Both Ears for the First Time in Over 40 Years

Cochlear, the world's leader in advanced hearing technologies, today announced a landmark milestone when Dr. Thomas Roland, Jr., MD of NYU Langone Medical Center performs the 120,000th cochlear implant device procedure. Today, 72-year-old New York resident, Susan Grossman, will undergo surgery to receive bilateral (a device in each ear) Nucleus(R) Freedom cochlear implants.

Cochlear implants have the ability to restore hearing for individuals who are severely hard of hearing and for whom hearing aids don't help much, and those who are profoundly deaf. A cochlear implant is a device, which bypasses damaged hair cells in the inner ear, or cochlea, that stimulates the hearing nerve directly, effectively restoring hearing to individuals. These devices are a proven medical option for adults and children as young as twelve months old.

"Cochlear implants are the most effective treatment for people with severe to profound hearing loss and are becoming the standard of care globally," said Dr. Roland. "In fact, it is becoming common practice for people to now receive a device in both ears, as the clinical evidence clearly demonstrates the benefit. At NYU, we do more than five implants per week and this continues to grow each year." The NYU team of audiologists currently manage about 1800 recipients.

"Cochlear implants are the only medical device designed to restore one of the five human senses. With this technology, people with severe to profound hearing loss no longer have to live in a world of silence," said Chris Smith, President Cochlear Americas. "We celebrate this milestone with the dedicated clinicians who have helped us to positively impact the lives of so many people, like Susan Grossman, with the gift of hearing. An estimated 1 million people in the United States could benefit from this technology, yet less than 10 percent of those who qualify actually have a cochlear implant. It is important that we educate and inform the general public about this life changing technology."

When asked what she is most looking forward to after receiving her implants, Susan Grossman responded, "I'm really excited to be able to do everything that I did before without having to think about whether I'll be able to hear."

Since the first commercial implant in 1982, cochlear implants have become the standard of care for people who have severe to profound hearing loss. Approximately 400 institutions in the United States now provide this advanced technology. This technology is covered by the majority of private carriers as well as by Medicare and Medicaid for appropriate candidates.

To commemorate this milestone, Cochlear will launch a Web page to celebrate Susan's activation. Cochlear is inviting other recipients, family members, friends and professional partners to join Susan by sharing the details of their experiences with sound via an Interactive map of North America at: http://www.CochlearAmericas.com/Susan.

About Susan Grossman

Seventy-two year-old Susan Grossman began to loose her hearing, in her right ear, in her 30s. Over time, her hearing loss steadily grew worse, eventually leaving her almost deaf on both ears. Unable to be helped sufficiently by hearing aids, like many of the estimated 1 in 10 Americans with hearing loss, Susan made the decision to receive cochlear implants in both ears (bilateral implantation) and is looking forward to hearing the voices of her friends and family again.

About Dr. Thomas Roland

J. Thomas Roland, Jr., MD is Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery at New York University School of Medicine. He is the Director of Otology and Neurotology and Co-Director of the NYU Cochlear Implant Center. Dr. Roland is actively involved in cochlear implant research, has lectured nationally and internationally on many topics related to cochlear implantation and has an active cochlear implant practice in New York. He acts in an advisory capacity to two cochlear implant manufacturers.

Disclosure: Dr. Thomas Roland, MD has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

About Cochlear

The cochlear implant is recognized as a standard treatment for profound deafness by the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.(1) Since launching the world's first cochlear implant system more than 25 years ago, Cochlear Limited and its U.S. headquarters have brought the miracle of sound with its entire product portfolio to more than 150,000 hearing-impaired individuals across the globe. Cochlear's state-of-the-art technologies, based on extensive research and development at preeminent academic institutions, restore the ability to hear sound and understand speech-enhancing both learning capabilities and quality of life for those with moderate to profound hearing loss. Cochlear has remained the market leader in its field thanks to an unwavering commitment to innovation, reliability and customer support. Numerous awards, as well as published scientific data, attest to Cochlear's outstanding product line and unsurpassed performance. Cochlear's promise "Hear now. And always" reflects their philosophy of a lifetime commitment to those individuals who choose their products. For more information about Cochlear's products, call the Cochlear Nucleus Hotline at 800/458-4999 (Voice) or 800/483-3123 (TTY) or visit the website at http://www.cochlear.com.

About NYU Langone Medical Center

One of the world's premier academic medical institutions for more than 167 years, NYU Langone Medical Center continues to be a leader in patient care, physician education and scientific research. NYU Langone Medical Center is internationally renowned for excellence in areas such as cardiovascular disease, pediatrics, skin care, neurosurgery, urology, cancer care, rehabilitation, plastic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, transplant surgery, infertility, women's health and day surgery.

(1) American Academy of Audiology