How cochlear implants from St. Luke's Hospital transformed one woman's life
When Gay Miller suddenly lost her hearing, she decided to do something about it.
Photo courtesy of St. Luke's Hospital
At age 58, Gay Miller was working at Eckert’s when she suddenly began to lose her hearing. Sounds slowly faded over the course of two weeks, until one day she could barely hear her grandchildren from the backseat. That was when Gay decided to visit a specialist, who referred her to Dr. Jacques Herzog, medical director at the Cochlear Implant Center at St. Luke’s Hospital.
Miller attempted the use of hearing aids for several months with limited results, before deciding to meet with Dr. Herzog. Hearing aids can become ineffective when users can no longer hear words. While cochlear implants help patients to improve their understanding, hearing aids simply just increase volume. Cochlear implants come into play when hearing aids simply are not enough.
Gay made the decision to undergo an outpatient procedure for a cochlear implant, a small electronic device that's able to bypass the damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Consisting of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that's surgically placed under the skin, it's considered the only device to restore the sense of hearing. Often times, Dr. Herzog sees patients struggling with the decision to get a cochlear implant: "Not only hearing aids, but hearing loss can cause people to fall into a world of silence. This is when issues such as depression can arise. Cochlear implants are a game changer that can give patients a new lease on life."
Photo courtesy of St. Luke's Hospital
Dr. Herzog made a small incision behind Miller’s ear and implanted a computer-like chip, a magnet, and two nylon filaments, then inserted the other filament into the cochlea. Two to three weeks after the procedure, the device was turned on for the first time. Afterward, while riding home with her husband, Wally, she exclaimed, “What is that sound?” It was the tires on the road—a sound she hadn’t heard in a long time.
That was almost 15 years ago. Since then, Miller has upgraded her external processors as technology has evolved. Today, she's wearing the Kanso, Cochlear Americas' first off-the-ear external processor, and she's able to clearly hear her grandchildren and husband. Miller often shares her story with prospective recipients and participates in her regionally based cochlear implants support group that meets at St. Luke’s Hospital. As she says, "It feels like it puts you back into life."
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of St. Luke's Hospital.
