Comprehensive Cochlear Implant Program

Choose Ohio State for cochlear implant treatment.

Schedule Online Appointments: 614-366-3687

Is your patient struggling to hear despite wearing hearing aids? If so, a cochlear implant could be the solution.

At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we take a unique approach to cochlear implant (CI) patient care, drawing on the expertise of surgeons, audiologists and speech-language pathologists to fully understand and treat the many factors that determine patient success. We call this approach comprehensive adult auditory rehabilitation.

How does comprehensive adult auditory rehabilitation work?

Since 1988, our otology team has performed hundreds of cochlear implant surgeries and expanded our scope of practice to offer the latest devices, innovative research and unmatched rehabilitation services related to the auditory system.

Through adult auditory rehabilitation, our multidisciplinary team will work with you and your patient to set individualized communication goals, establish clear expectations and provide resources specifically selected to meet their most important communication needs. We’ll also collaborate with you to create a continuity of care, encouraging your patient to follow up with you for their future hearing or hearing aid needs.

How do I know if a cochlear implant is right for my patient?

Traditional adult CI candidates are those who have:

  • Moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears
  • Had limited success with hearing aids
  • A strong desire to be part of the hearing world and communicate through listening, speaking and speechreading

Have the patient criteria for cochlear implants changed?

Yes! Read below to learn more about the recent CI criteria updates as they pertain to whom the procedure is best for. We also encourage you to register for our free upcoming virtual CME event, where we’ll discuss these updates in more detail.

The 60/60 guideline

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently began using the 60/60 guideline when referring for cochlear implant evaluations. This means that a referred patient can have an unaided pure tone average (PTA at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 Hz) of 60 dB HL or worse, and less than 60% unaided word recognition ability in the better ear.

Single-sided deafness

Patients with one good ear and one ear with moderate-to-profound hearing loss may be good candidates for cochlear implants. This patient population has many options, depending on the amount of hearing loss in the better-hearing ear. These options include CROS or BiCROS hearing aids, MED-EL ADHEAR, Cochlear Baha, Oticon Ponto, Cochlear Osia, MED-EL BONEBRIDGE or a cochlear implant (Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Americas, MED-EL).

Electric-Acoustic Stimulation (EAS) cochlear implant

Cochlear implant candidacy has expanded to include a diagnostic audiogram with normal or mild low-frequency hearing loss sloping to moderate-to-profound hearing loss. Each of the three implant manufacturers offers an option for an external device that utilizes an acoustic portion for amplifying low frequencies and a cochlear implant processor to electrically amplify the higher frequencies.  

Can I enroll my patient in cochlear implant research at Ohio State?

The Ohio State Comprehensive Cochlear Implant Program has many ongoing research projects and we’re always seeking participants. Participation in these studies can even provide opportunities for patients who are not otherwise considered cochlear implant candidates.

We’re currently enrolling patients in studies across a broad range of research areas, including:

  • Determining how intraoperative electrophysiological feedback to the surgeon improves hearing preservation (clinical trial) – led by Oliver Adunka, MD
  • Identifying preoperative hearing, language and cognitive measures that can be used to predict and explain cochlear implant outcomes in adults – led by Aaron Moberly, MD, and Terrin Tamati, PhD
  • Examining electrophysiological measures of nerve and brain functioning in cochlear implant users – led by Shuman He, MD, PhD
  • Cochlear implantation in patients undergoing surgery for vestibular schwannoma or treatment of Meniere’s disease – led by Oliver Adunka, MD
  • Evaluating the impact of cochlear implant on communication and quality-of-life outcomes – led by Aaron Moberly, MD

We would be happy to talk with you to learn how we can better meet the needs of your patients. To meet with our physicians and audiologists or to schedule a patient consultation, please email cochlearimplantteam@osumc.edu.

Our Physicians

Our Cochlear Implant Care Team

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Laura Feeney, AuD

Audiologist

Laura Feeney, AuD, earned both her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and her doctoral degree in Audiology from The Ohio State University. She has been with the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery since 2007. She is certified by the American Board of Audiology and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology. Her clinical interests include diagnostic testing, hearing aids and cochlear implants.

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Brenda Hall, AuD

Audiologist

Brenda Hall, AuD, graduated from the University of North Carolina with a master’s degree in Audiology. She received her doctoral degree from Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2010. She has been a member of the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery since 1991. Her interests include working with patients with cochlear implants and hearing aids.

Hiss Meghan724x840

Meghan Hiss, AuD

Audiologist

Meghan Hiss, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and her Doctor of Audiology degree from The Ohio State University in 2008 and 2012, respectively. She worked as a clinical audiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Columbus Speech and Hearing Center before joining the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2018. Her clinical interests include diagnostic audiology, cochlear implants and the fitting of hearing aids and assistive technology. Dr. Hiss is a research audiologist at the Ohio State Buckeye Center for Hearing and Development. She is board certified by the American Board of Audiology and is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and the Ohio Academy of Audiology. 

Debby LaPrete, AuD

Audiologist

Debby LaPrete, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and her master's degree from the University of Cincinnati. She graduated from the Arizona School of Health Sciences with her doctoral degree in Audiology in 2009. Dr. LaPrete has worked at Ohio State since 1994, and specializes in providing services to recipients of cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants.

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Melissa Schnitzspahn, AuD

Manager, Audiology

Melissa Schnitzspahn, AuD, received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science from The Ohio State University in 1998 and her master’s degree in Audiology from Ohio State in 2000. She obtained her doctoral degree in Audiology from the Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2008. Melissa joined the Ohio State Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in 2001. Her interests include hearing aid dispensing and cochlear implants.

Additional Information

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