Hearing aids and cochlear implants

Refinements in digital technologies and implantable materials have expanded options for managing hearing loss. Digital technologies enable clinicians to address specific listening needs by tailoring filtering and amplification capacity, while optimizing cosmetics and comfort with device design, size, and fit. This article surveys current approaches to prosthetic hearing and related devices, examining their design, indications for use, fitting, and observed outcomes. Furthermore, it explains the characteristics of bone anchored hearing devices, as well as cochlear implants. It then explains cochlear implant surgery, revealing its procedure, possible complications, and results. Finally, it illustrates auditory brain stem implants as a technique to counter hearing loss. Technological advances in the development of sensory prosthetics have had a profound impact on hearing rehabilitation and further research is bound to prove it as a viable option in maintaining auditory access.