Middle ear implants
Middle ear implants are surgically implanted hearing aids. They help sound vibrations reach the inner ear (cochlea) by making the middle ear bones vibrate.
Middle ear implants may be suitable for children aged 5 and over who cannot use behind-the-ear hearing aids or bone conduction devices due to medical reasons.
Only a small number of children in the UK have middle ear implants. Those who have them tend to be older children, teenagers and young adults.
A note on terms
Throughout this page, we use the term 'your child'. However, we understand that many deaf young people may be making this decision for themselves. Whenever you see 'your child', please know it also includes any deaf young person considering middle ear implants.
Who can use middle ear implants
Middle ear implants may be suitable for children who:
- are 5 years or older
- cannot use behind-the-ear hearing aids or bone conduction devices due to medical reasons
- have a stable (non-progressive) hearing loss
- have deafness in one or both ears (unilateral or bilateral)
- have mild to severe conductive, sensorineural or mixed deafness
- do not have middle ear infections
Medical reasons which could make middle ear implants more suitable than conventional hearing aids or bone conduction devices include:
- past ear surgery which makes using a conventional hearing aids difficult (for example, mastoid cavity problems following surgery for cholesteatoma)
- underdeveloped outer ears (microtia or atresia)
- soft tissue problems or loss of fixture which prevents wearing bone conduction devices
- allergies, eczema or recurrent outer ear infections that make earmoulds difficult to use
How middle ear implants work
The implant is surgically inserted into the middle ear, and a small device called a transducer is attached to one of the middle-ear bones (stapes or incus) or to the round window between the middle ear and the inner ear (cochlea).
- A microphone picks up sound.
- The sound processor changes these sounds into electrical signals.
- The electrical signals are sent to the implant in the middle ear and are converted into vibrations.
- The vibrations go to the inner ear (cochlea) where they're perceived as sound.
Brands and models
There are different brands and models which work in different ways. Models include:
Getting a middle ear implant
Your local audiology service should provide a full assessment of your child’s hearing. They will usually try a behind-the-ear hearing aid for at least 4 weeks first.
If the behind-the-ear hearing aid is not helpful or cannot be used due to medical reasons, and your child meets the criteria, your audiologist may refer you to a specialist hearing implant centre for further assessment.
The assessment process is similar to getting a cochlear implant and involves several professionals.
Surgery
The operation is usually done under general anaesthetic and can take between 1 and 2 hours. The implant is then activated around 6 to 8 weeks later.
A follow-up appointment will be made after the initial activation to fine-tune the processor with further appointments as required.
Connecting with other technology
Most middle ear implants have Bluetooth and can connect wirelessly to phones, computers, alerting systems, radio aids and more.
Fully implantable middle ear implants may not have as much connectivity as the device is smaller.
Some middle ear implants also connect to compatible technology using a streamer or other device. Find out more about assistive technology.
For advice about your specific device and its compatibility with other technology, you can ask your implant centre or contact our Helpline.
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk