Discussion Regarding Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids

Discussion regarding Cochlear Implants and Hearing Aids

Since I am deaf, I have more than a passing interest in this issue- and more than a few opinions on the matter. As a member of the Deaf community, I have some reservations regarding the ethics of CI but since that is not the focus of this discussion I will try to withhold those sentiments.

The pros and cons of CI will in my opinion vary with the individual who is receiving the CI. For a person who has an acquired loss (late-deafened), a CI may be the perfect answer. For a child with a congenital loss, a CI may be helpful, but in my opinion is not a perfect solution all in itself.

As to who would want one, again that is a matter of choice and will depend upon the individual. And here is where the ethical considerations come in that I really don't want to address because they are to me a large part of the issue. Suffice to say that an adult who suffers an acquired hearing loss will likely want to pursue a CI if they can afford it because it will come the closest to returning them to a 'normal' state.

Comparing CI to hearing aids is like comparing apples to onions. CI requires surgery- hearing aids do not. CI is expensive- the average cost for a CI exceeds $40,000, whereas a quality digital high-powered hearing aid will cost around $1000. A hearing aid can be easily removed if one wishes, a CI cannot. If the hearing aid breaks, you pack it up and send it off to be fixed. If the CI breaks internally (inside of the person with the CI) then that requires surgery.

Since I am deaf, I had to make the choice a few years ago and I decided that a CI was not for me. I am happy wearing a hearing aid when I want to, or need to and depending on ASL to understand and to communicate with my deaf and hearing friends that know ASL.