Cochlear Implant Program

Every patient and family considering CI will receive a cochlear implant evaluation. During this evaluation, your child's hearing (both with and without hearing aids) is measured. If your child is found to be an appropriate candidate for CI, radiological and surgical visits, as well as a cochlear implant orientation, are completed. During orientation, candidacy, realistic expectations, specifics about devices available and many other questions will be answered. The CI team welcomes any outstanding questions at this orientation.

Insurance coverage of cochlear implants varies depending on your insurance carrier. It is strongly recommended that you contact your carrier to determine if a cochlear implant is a covered benefit.

If the cochlear implant team determines that your child is a candidate for the procedure, please discuss questions about surgical insurance authorizations with the surgeon’s office.

Cochlear Implant Manufacturers

The Cochlear Implant Program at Riley at IU Health currently uses cochlear implants from three manufacturers. In alphabetical order and not in order of preference, these manufacturers are:

• Advanced Bionics
• Cochlear
• Med-EL

The CI team will discuss the devices in detail with you and your child in order to help determine what device may best fit your child's lifestyle and needs. On rare occasions, the CI team may recommend a specific device for a patient.

Our History of Excellence

Our program has a long-standing history as industry leaders in CI and related research. Our staff has conducted many highly influential research studies as a part of our long-standing commitment to advancements in the field of CI. The Cochlear Implant Program at Riley at IU Health remains a leader in this field of ever-changing technology. With over 1,500 patients cared for by our program, the experience and expertise provided by our implant team is invaluable.

The surgeons and audiologists that comprise our team continue to provide the highest quality care to all patients with cochlear implants. For this reason, our program is internationally recognized both as a clinical center and as a research resource for children with severe to profound hearing loss.