NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – A cochlear implant is a device that bypasses damaged portions of the ear and delivers sound signals directly to the hearing nerve. But for years, the devices, which rely on magnets, have not been compatible with MRI machines, which operate on magnetic fields. Now, new improvements in technology have made them a viable option for patients who couldn’t have considered them before. One New York woman’s implant produced life-changing results.
Toni Iacolucci’s struggle with her hearing started 25 years ago when a non-cancerous tumor blocked the hearing in her right ear. Then in 2006, she went to her son’s high school band concert, and for that night, didn’t wear ear plugs.
“I was unplugged, and I went home that night, and II was having a hard time hearing,” Iacolucci explained.
Doctors don’t know why, but one week later, the hearing in her left ear was gone.
Shortly after, her son, Gian Stone, began to rise in the music world, producing songs for Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and the Jonas brothers.
Gian took his mom to the 2019 Grammy’s. Even with a hearing aid, Toni couldn’t hear music clearly.
“It was such a big part of his life, and I couldn’t be a part of it anymore,” Toni said.
Weill Cornell Medicine’s Professor of Audiology, Joseph Montano said, “Hearing impairment is much more complex than just the idea of, you know, you have a little problem hearing, let’s put a hearing aid in, and everything will be fine.”
For years, other options were out. Toni needed yearly MRIs to monitor the tumor near her right ear, so, she couldn’t go into the machine with a cochlear implant. But then, a new design allowed the magnet in the device to twist and reorient when exposed to the magnetic field in the scanner.
Toni had the device implanted last January and was able to hear clearly again. Now, she can be part of the conversation at a crowded family dinner and can hear and appreciate her son’s songs.
The FDA approved one MRI-compatible cochlear implant late in 2019, and several other FDA approved versions followed.
By the way, Toni’s son is nominated, once again, for a 2022 Grammy award. Toni will be watching and listening to hear if his name is called – as a winner.
Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Producer; Kirk Manson, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing
https://www.audiology.org/consumers-and-patients/hearing-and-balance/depression-and-hearing-loss/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4391344/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7199932/
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: COCHLEAR IMPLANT IS AWARD WINNING FOR TONI
REPORT: MB #5036
BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, “hard of hearing” refers to people with hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. People with hearing loss usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices, as well as captioning. Over one billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices and by the year 2050, nearly 2.5 billion are projected to have some degree of hearing loss.
(Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss)
SYMPTOMS: There are two types of hearing loss; sensorineural and conductive. Sensorineural hearing loss happens when there is damage to the inner ear and is permanent, while conductive hearing loss happens when sound waves can’t reach the inner ear (which can be caused by the buildup of earwax or a punctured eardrum) and can be fixed with medicine or surgery. Symptoms of hearing loss are very noticeable and should be taken seriously. Some signs that you should look out for are having trouble hearing over the phone, often asking people to repeat themselves, needing to turn up the TV volume so loud that people complain, and thinking that others seem to mumble.
(Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hearing-loss-common-problem-older-adults)
NEW TECHNOLOGY: According to WebMD, hearing aid technology is always advancing and people with severe hearing loss can benefit from a cochlear implant. Meghan Spriggs, AuD, an audiologist and assistant clinical professor at UC San Diego Health Sciences, says, “One of the neat parts about continuous improvements to the cochlear implant technology is that the majority of the innovation is housed in the processor (external part), meaning that patients who underwent surgery years ago are able to access many of these latest features.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Krystle Lopez
(917) 675-0327
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