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Removing cochlear electrode while preserving residual hearing

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I have a Cochlear K2 implant on my right ear.

My right ear still has residual hearing, about 75dB .

Currently I use the cochlear implant on the right ear and a Phonak Audéo Lumity R L50 hearing aid on my left ear.

I want to ask:

Is it possible to remove the cochlear electrode while preserving my residual hearing?

If the electrode can be removed successfully, can I wear a hearing aid on this ear afterwards?

What are the risks of this explant surgery?

Are there any hospitals in the US that have good experience with this kind of surgery?

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I might be off with this as I’m referring back to my original training (and procedures may have changed) but it’s my understanding that upon insertion of the electrode, the basilar membrane surrounding structures is/are irreversibly damaged. Plus there’s the actual trauma (perilymph/endolymph fistula) risk of the removal itself.

Aside from the associated risks to your facial, auditory and surrounding nerves, plus the loss of your middle ear.

I’m happy to be wrong in this area if there’s been a surgical improvement though.

I really appreciate this professional breakdown.

I was hoping there might be a way to extract the electrode while keeping residual hearing, but after reading many cases and your explanation, I realize how high the risk is.

My residual hearing is about 75dB. At this moment I’m going to keep my current + solution and protect what hearing I still have.

If promising research and technology become available in the future, I would still consider removing the implant to wear a hearing aid. But I won’t proceed unless there is at least an 80% chance of success.

In reply to @jiajia

@jiajia said:

I have a Cochlear K2 implant on my right ear.

The Kanso 2 is a sound processor. You will have one of the following compatible implants: Cochlear Profile Series, CI500 Series, CI24RE (Freedom) Series, CI24R, or CI24M.

When it comes to questions about removal, you need to talk to a surgeon. It isn't something that most audiologists encounter. CI removals generally occur because of implant failure and replacement which is not very common.

A significant amount of scar tissue can form around the implanted electrodes, but modern electrode designs have much less risk of damaging the structures of the organ of corti than the original designs that @Um_bongo is probably referring to. Modern designs are also designed to be removed with less risk of trauma, because it is likely that removal and replacement will be required at least once during someone's lifetime. The CI22 has a 9.68% cumulative failure rate after 37 years, which is very low but I would think the failure rates will start climbing over the next 10 - 15 years. The recalled CI500 from 2009 has a cumulative survival rate of 88.55%.

Thank you for your reply.

I’m wondering if there are patients who had their implant removed and were still able to use a hearing aid afterwards.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found anyone with the same situation as me so far.

My cochlear implant works well now, but I still have a strong wish to switch back to a hearing aid. It may just be a personal psychological preference.

If future technology can preserve residual hearing reliably after explant surgery, and doctors confirm it’s suitable for me, I’d consider it.

Since it’s hard to achieve with current technology, I’ll put this idea aside for now. I just want to know if such cases exist worldwide.

Thank you very much for your suggestion. I’m hoping to have the implant surgically removed so I can use only a hearing aid. Hearing around 30 decibels would be ideal for me. EAS likely isn’t a good fit, since my cochlear implant already works well for daily conversations. But I want it removed mostly for appearance reasons; I have some psychological discomfort with the external processor. Also, EAS would place extra auditory burden on my right side, and it feels like overkill. It would be wonderful if I could wear a hearing aid without removing the implant. However, I’ve consulted doctors and was told it’s not possible, so I can only keep using the cochlear implant for now.

Edited

In reply to @jiajia

I don't read the whole thread yet. What's your percentage in each ear separately and binaurally before implantation? When did you had CI surgery?

It's very hard to say if you will have preserved hearing after explantation. If you have CI24RE (precurved array), it's highly probable that residual hearing will be irreversibly damaged, because that array is practically adjacent to the inner wall of the cochlea and will probably rub delicate structures during explantation.

Does CI is faulty?

If not, I (and doctors) legitimately see implant explantation risky amd unnecessary, not only because of high risk of losing residual hearing, but also possible potential to make future treatment of hearing loss impossible.

After explantation, cochlear canal channels, especially scala tympani can be overgrowth with tissue, making future treatment impossible. And leaving you with debilitating disability lifetime.

Before cochlear implantation, my right ear was 60 and my left ear was 55 dB. My unaided word recognition score was 60%. I had unilateral cochlear implant surgery only on my right ear on May 8, 2025.

At my follow-up check two months ago, I still had residual hearing of 75 dB in my right ear. My implant is working perfectly and I hear well with it. However, I have psychological discomfort. I really wish I could go back to using a hearing aid only.

I got the cochlear implant because I had worn a hearing aid unilaterally for more than three years, which caused me constant headaches, probably due to binaural imbalance. Now I use the cochlear implant on my right ear and a Phonak hearing aid on my left ear. My aided hearing level reaches around 25 dB, with word recognition score above 85%.

If all doctors advise against explantation, I will not remove it. If explantation would ruin this ear, it is simply not worth the risk. But I still feel emotionally troubled wearing the external processor; it’s hard for me psychologically having this device on my head.

A doctor told me at the hospital the other day that I cannot wear a hearing aid on the implanted ear unless the implant is removed. I didn’t know that.

In reply to @jiajia

@jiajia said:

But I still feel emotionally troubled wearing the external processor; it’s hard for me psychologically having this device on my head.

Reading through your posts has me somewhat confused. The you have shared with us, is it correct before the implant or after? What was your word understanding of only the implanted ear prior to the implant?

Iam bilateral Ci wearing K2 processors. You have not been implanted long and it sounds like you are doing pretty good with your K2. What is your word understanding with only the K2 now? Not with your other aided ear. I am not asking anything about your non implanted ear.

Have you considered using the N8 rather than the K2? It's appearance is similar to a hearing aid.

What do you mean by emotionally troubled psychologically wearing the K2? Do you have the same feelings with hearing aids?

In reply to @jiajia

@jiajia said:

A doctor told me at the hospital the other day that I cannot wear a hearing aid on the implanted ear unless the implant is removed

This statement is incorrect. You can wear a hearing aid while implanted.

I have had two tests on my implanted right ear. The word recognition score was 85% in the first test and 100% in the second.

It would be wonderful if I could wear a hearing aid without removing the implant. I could take off my K2 processor and get fitted for a hearing aid. It would be amazing if this works. My residual hearing was tested about a month ago at roughly 75 .

If I take off the cochlear implant processor on my implanted right ear and can wear a hearing aid instead, reaching a hearing level of 30 with a word recognition score above 70%, I would prefer to use a hearing aid.

My cochlear implant works well for hearing, but I feel uncomfortable seeing the processor on my scalp. I cannot get used to it. It makes me feel like I am in a vulnerable group. I really want to wear a hearing aid.

@Raudrive said:

From your last two posts you should have never been implanted. Your hearing is nowhere near proper CI candidacy.

candidacy criteria vary between countries. The USA is very behind when it comes to the strictness of implantation criteria. In Australia this loss would meet candidacy criteria. Psychologically, the OP needs additional counseling.

For me, there is not much difference between the N7 and N8 processors.

What I really hope for is a chance to remove the cochlear implant entirely and go back to wearing only a hearing aid.

Sometimes I regret having the implant surgery. I understand the risks, and I will not consider explant surgery unless the chance of preserving my residual hearing reaches 80%.

@jiajia said:

I understand the risks, and I will not consider explant surgery unless the chance of preserving my residual hearing reaches 80%.

80% of what?

Edited

In reply to @jiajia

Why explanting cochlear implant if you simply may not use the sound processor and use hearing aid normally, maybe after some adjustments, preferably with ?

It doesn't make sense to me, because internal part is completely unnoticeable. If you want use hearing aid, you simply use it instead of sound processor and explantation is unnecessary.

@jiajia said:

Sometimes I regret having the implant surgery.

But why, regarding you have excellent results, better than mine with ?

@jiajia said:

I understand the risks, and I will not consider explant surgery unless the chance of preserving my residual hearing reaches 80%.

No responsible doctor will provide you exact percentage. The risk is simply high. I apologise for being blunt, but this is too serious issue.

@Hearing_Potential said:

Psychologically, the OP needs additional counseling.

I think this is good point. @jiajia, have you ever had unpleasant situation from another person just because you have sound processor?

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