Cochlear implant surgery is a three-hour procedure with an overnight stay in the hospital. It is considered outpatient surgery. An incision is made behind the ear and an opening is made in the bone so that the electrode array can be inserted into the inner ear. The incision is closed and the patient goes to the recovery room for about an hour, then to a hospital room for an overnight stay. The patient usually goes home the following morning.

Risks:

• Risks associated with being anesthetized for 3 hours
• Injury to the facial nerve causing paralysis of one side of the face. (Worldwide incidence of permanent facial paralysis following cochlear implantation is 2 percent. The function of the facial nerve is monitored during the surgery in every case. This monitoring helps the surgeon avoid injury to the nerve.)
• Infection at the surgical site
• Temporary loss of taste. (This usually returns in about two months.)
• Failure of the cochlear implant device to work after it is implanted
• Failure to provide benefit (A small number of patients report that they receive no benefit from the device. The rigorous candidacy evaluation process minimizes this possibility.)
• Nausea or dizziness after surgery (Usually this goes away after a day, but for some it lasts several days. In these cases, a longer hospital stay may be required.
• Disappointment in the benefit obtained from the cochlear implant (All patients and their family members are counseled so that their expectations are realistic.)