Esteem Hearing Implant?

[Phillies]

Has anyone heard about this Esteem Hearing Implant? It made the news last week when this youtube video went viral showing a woman who was apparently deaf being shown hearing for the first time thanks to this implant. But when I went on the company's website it said it's only for people who still have some hearing in that ear...

[Jim Scott]

Phillies ~

From what I could discern from the Esteem® website, the device is really a very sophisticated 'hearing aid' and, as such, requires an intact hearing nerve (which AN patients rarely have) to be effective.  Looking further, the company estimates the cost of the device and it's implantation at approximately $30,000. which is prohibitive for most of us. Because a hearing aid is not usually covered by medical insurance, the Esteem® website offers helpful suggestions on how to pay the cost, including withdrawing funds from your 401k.  I'll pass.

Jim

[Phillies]

Well, I do have an intact hearing nerve, against all odds, but no hearing, at least not yet. Doctor says my chance of regaining usefull hearing at this point is slim but till have a chance of regaining some small amount of hearing. Not sure if an intact hearing nerve is good enough but sounds like at least a little amount of hearing is needed for that to work. And yes, $30,000 is a massive amount of money. If having an intact nerve is enough to qualify for that, or if a little hearing comes back I'm not sure I would want to spend that kind of money but at the very least it'll be nice to know that an option like that is out there...

I actually emailed the company andf I got a generic reply back with a brochure lol

[james e]

I had translab, and they preserved the hearing nerve.  My doc said if I lose my good ear, they can do a cochlear implant on my my deaf side. This post just made me wonder how long an unused hearing nerve might survive and be functional. I have always felt comfortable knowing I had a "backup" hearing nerve.

James

[Phillies]

Your nerve wasn't cut and you had translab surgery? How did that happen??

[CHD63]

I wondered the same thing.  I was under the impression that the entire labyrinth was taken, including the acoustic nerve.  Hmmmmmm.  Anxious to see what the other posts say.

Clarice

[Denise S]

I wondered the same thing.  I was under the impression that the entire labyrinth was taken, including the acoustic nerve.  Hmmmmmm.  Anxious to see what the other posts say.

Clarice

Same here!   I thought translab was if you basically already lost all or most all of your hearing due to the tumor damaging the hearing nerve.   And the translab approach makes it much easier & safer(?) to get to the tumor & nerve.    Hmmm, just a little more confused...

Denise

[Kaybo]

...another curious girl here...

K 

[james e]

I'm not exactly sure what they did. I do  remember that they told me that they preserved the nerve, and could do a cochlear implant later if needed. I will call my doc on Monday.

James

[JAndrews]

With the translab approach your hearing nerve is gone. This approach is not possible without the loss of the hearing nerve......this is a fact. Any surgeon who says they have done the translab approach and the patient still has a hearing nerve.....is completely wrong and probably shouldnt be doing brain surgery!

[Denise S]

james e

I also don't understand why you have a BAHA but yet your doctor said he could do a cochlear implant.   Sorry to say it, but I'm thinking your doctor is way off in left field or something?   When our nerve is damaged, like most AN post ops are, a cochlear implant will not work.  ALTHOUGH, since one of the main bahas is made by Cochlear and is called an implant....(bone anchored implant)...maybe that is where that confusion comes in.

Will be real curious to see what your doctor says.   You can also always get a copy of your surgical report from them.   Mine says right in it what happened with the nerve (ex.  mine was middle fossa and it shows nerve was intact and showing signal when they went to close me up.....bad part, I had major swelling & delayed facial paralysis & my nerve was then damaged) : (

[leapyrtwins]

I have heard of the Esteem from my neurotologist about a year ago.  He is one of a handful of doctors trained to surgically implant it.

Unfortunately most AN patients aren't candidates for the Esteem, but it's an amazing development in hearing technology.

Jan

[james e]

Okay, I talked with my doc, and I totally misunderstood what he said. He remembered our conversation, and it was the day following my surgery, and that may explain my misunderstanding. When he said he preserved the nerve, he was talking about my facial nerve, not my hearing nerve...I have full facial function. He mentioned that if my good ear goes bad, he can do a cochlear implant on that ear, and I can maintain some form of hearing. I am slightly embarrassed, but glad to get this straightened out.

James

[leapyrtwins]

The Esteem is basically a permanent, implanted hearing aid that would work for someone who could use a conventional (non-implanted) hearing aid.  Its implanted under the skin; when the battery dies (it lasts for years) they have to open you up to change it. 

As Jim said, its very expensive.

Since many of us who are SSD can't be helped by a conventional hearing aid, we wouldn't be candidates for the Esteem.

Here is more info on the Esteem http://www.envoymedical.com/

Jan