Cochlear implant surgery now available at Inova Loudoun Hospital

Hearing You Loud and Clear

After going through four different sets of hearing aids over the last 20 years, Raymond Lepesqueur knew it was time to try something new. Raymond, 74, suffers from otosclerosis, a genetic disorder that impedes the ear’s ability to amplify sound, and gradually started losing his hearing in his early 20s.

“Each set of hearing aids helped somewhat. But, in the end, I was using them at maximum power and they weren’t doing much to help,” he says. “By 2015, I had no hearing in my left ear and less than a third of normal hearing in my right ear.”

Raymond found his way to Roya Azadarmaki, MD, an otolaryngologist and Medical Director of Washington Ear Associates. Dr. Azadarmaki recommended cochlear implant surgery, which is designed for people with severe to profound hearing loss. During the surgery, a small device is placed in the ear that sends impulses directly to the auditory nerve, which carries sound signals to the brain. A few weeks after the surgery, the doctor fits the patient with a speech processor and microphone and activates the implants.

Partnership with Washington Ear Associates

Thankfully, Inova Loudoun Hospital and Washington Ear Associates recently partnered to bring cochlear implant surgery and complex hearing services to Northern Virginia. Raymond was able to have surgery at Inova Loudoun in May 2017; his implants were activated one month later.

“We are the first program in Loudoun County to offer these services and are excited to bring this level of tertiary care to the local population,” says Dr. Azadarmaki. “We help patients of varying ages — even those in their 90s — because people are living longer and deserve to have a better quality of life.”

Getting Back to Life with Better Hearing

“I’m much happier and able to engage in conversations more easily now,” Raymond says. “Previously, I was restricted because I couldn’t hear what anyone was saying unless they were directly next to me. Now, I can go to lectures or my retirement community’s dining hall and hear everyone in the room.”

Raymond is also more confident in his ability to take care of his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. He is active in an Alzheimer’s support group and now can hear everyone at the round table. “The experience I had with Dr. Azadarmaki and Inova was very positive,” he adds. “I hope my story encourages people who might benefit from a cochlear implant to consider getting one.”

How a Cochlear Implant Works

There are two primary components of the Cochlear™ Nucleus® System: the external sound processor, and the implant that is surgically placed underneath the skin and attached to an electrode that’s inserted in the inner ear (cochlea).