Advised not to get hearing aids but to go ahead with CI assessment

Sounds like maybe they are doing what they can with your HAs and letting you know that there is a limit to what HAs can do for you at your level of hearing loss. Maybe it is a decision point for you between continuing with HAs and what they offer even if limited, or exploring how a CI might help you. Not easy for sure, but there isn’t a way to restore what is lost, so technology is the next best thing.

Google Is Using AI to Make Hearing Aids More Personalized6

A new partnership between Google and an Australian hearing coalition is using machine intelligence to improve the customizability of hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Excerpt from the article

New Living Guidelines for Cochlear Implants

Work has also begun on international living guidelines to establish who should be tested and referred for a cochlear implant. As it stands, there is no standardized scale or test result that triggers a referral. This move follows research suggesting that just three out of every 100 people in the US who could benefit from cochlear implants actually receive one. Advice varies wildly, so people with severe hearing loss don’t always seek help, and they sometimes get bad advice when they do.

“Many patients who today would benefit from cochlear implants, that would be paid for by their insurance, don’t have access to the technology,” says Brian Kaplan, chairman of the department of otolaryngology and director of the Cochlear Implant Program at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

Many people worry about the expense; the misconception that you must be fully deaf is another barrier. Kaplan says there is an average 12-year delay between someone becoming a good candidate and actually getting a cochlear implant. Many folks struggle with deteriorating hearing. While hearing aids can ramp up the volume, a cochlear implant can also improve clarity of speech.

The societal costs of hearing loss and its links with dementia, social isolation, and depression are growing clearer. One study that tracked 639 adults for nearly 12 years found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk, moderate loss tripled it, and folks with severe hearing loss were five times more likely to develop dementia. The hope is that the new guidelines will result in more referrals and enable those who could benefit to get cochlear implants much more swiftly.

Fears over the surgery can also discourage folks, but Kaplan says it’s not brain surgery. It is an outpatient procedure that usually takes around an hour, can be performed with local anesthetic, and should result in very little pain. They make a 2-inch incision behind the ear to place the implant. The success rate is very high (less than 0.2 percent reject the implants), with most people reporting improved hearing and speech recognition within three months of implantation. As with any surgery, there is some risk. Cochlear implants don’t work for everyone, the hearing improvement they offer varies, and problems can necessitate further surgery.

If you think you or someone you know could benefit, the first step is to visit an audiologist to get tested. Cochlear offers advice on referrals1, and can help you find a hearing implant specialist.

Part of the reason I opted for a CI when I was borderline for criteria is that with the AB brand I get both the CI and a new Phonak HA for the other ear - all covered by insurance. MUch cheaper than new HAs.