와우이식술

In recent years，cochlear implantation has become an accepted alternative method for providing auditory stimulation to the profound deaf, and it is more widely offered to profoundly deaf children. Cochlear implants are being used for children as young as 2 years. This procedure is indicated in bilateral profound sensorineural deafness patients, who are lack of significant benifit from hearing aids, and psychologically and medically suitable after extensive medical and otological evaluations including radiological assessment and speech evaluation.

Hearing is essential for the development and social communication. There may be benifit to education，intellectual development and speech production development.

Twenty-nine deaf patients in the age range of 4 to 67 have received a Nucleus 22 channel cochlear implant from November 1988 to February 1994. Experience with these cochlear implantees has demonstrated significant benefit with minimal risk.

Postoperative rehabilitation programs began after first mapping and is going. All 29 patients implanted with the Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant showed improvement in postoperative performance.