Cochlear Implant Program

Connecticut Children’s cochlear implant team has extensive experience with cochlear implant technology. Our goal is to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families gain the tools they need to communicate confidently and effectively.

Candidates for cochlear implantation may include children with bilateral severe to profound hearing loss and/or progressive hearing loss and who receive little to no benefit with appropriately fit hearing aids.

Consideration for implantation among these children is a multi-step process that includes comprehensive evaluation by members of the implant team as appropriate. At the completion of these appointments, implant team members meet to determine candidacy. The team may recommend surgery, may decide that a child is not a candidate for implantation, or delay a decision until any identified areas of concern are addressed.

If implantation is recommended, surgery is scheduled. Our implant surgeons and audiologists test each implant in the operating room with neural response telemetry. Approximately one month after surgery, the audiologist activates the implant.

Following implant surgery and activation, our program provides ongoing medical and audiological and speech-language services, professional support, collaboration with community providers, and education to families.

The cochlear implant team is multi-disciplinary and includes:

• Otolaryngologists
• Audiologists
• Speech-language pathologists
• Educators, including Birth to Three providers and community-based teachers of the hearing impaired
• Social workers, psychologists, and developmental professionals as needed

Contact Information

Otolaryngology
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
282 Washington St, Ste 2L
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860.545.9560
Fax: 860.545.9214

Audiology
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
282 Washington St, Ste 2F
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860.545.9642
Fax: 860.545.9662

Speech-Language Pathology
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
100 Retreat Ave, Ste 401
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860.837.5915
Fax: 860.545.9644