This article originally appeared in Sounds of Life, a newsletter
published by the Departments of Audiology and Otolaryngology.
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| The first child to receive a cochlear implant at UMass
Memorial is Victoria Mahtesian, now 14 years old. She is pictured with her
parents, Kenneth and Valerie Mahtesian.
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"Since its inception in 1999, the
UMass Memorial Cochlear Implant Program continues to be one of the most
successful and comprehensive programs in New England," according to Weiru Shao,
MD, the new medical director of the program. "Over the past decade, more than
240 cochlear implant procedures were performed at UMass Memorial, making the
program one of the top in the region."
Serving patients from New England and beyond, the Cochlear Implant Program
has a phenomenal success rate. Nearly all patients enjoy significantly improved
hearing with the implant and many are able to use the telephone within the first
few years. Many children who receive cochlear implants are able to develop
speech and language skills and attend mainstreamed school environments.
The cochlear implant team offers adults and children with significant hearing
loss individualized care through a multidisciplinary approach. The program at
UMass Memorial is one of the few centers in the region that offers all three
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cochlear implant systems and
provides care for both bilateral and unilateral implant recipients.
In addition, the cochlear implant team is involved with numerous research
projects, including those coordinated by the FDA that review the latest
developments in technology and improve services to patients.
For more information on the Cochlear Implant Program, call 508-856-4161.