Date: Thursday, May 26th – 2pm EST
SPEAKER: Kari Smilsky, Senior Audiologist, Cochlear Implant Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Lecturer, University of Toronto: Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
, CAA Members View the Recording - log in to viewAbstract:
Single sided hearing loss poses significant challenges to communication despite having one normal hearing ear. Individuals with single sided deafness (SSD) report decreased hearing in the presence of background noise and poor localization ability. Traditional treatments for SSD involve contralateral routing of sound via a conventional acoustic CROS hearing aid or via bone conduction. These treatment modalities offer little in the way of improving localization or squelch. Candidacy criteria for cochlear implants (CI) have expanded considerably over the past thirty years and patients with SSD are now an emerging population of candidates for cochlear implantation.
In this webinar, we will review the evolution of cochlear implant candidacy from bilateral profound hearing loss to considering single-sided deafness. The challenges in evaluating objective and subjective outcomes of a cochlear implant in the context of a normal hearing ear will be summarized along with a discussion of a variety of ways to quantify benefit. Results will be presented from a study group of more than seventy recipients who have received a cochlear implant for single-sided deafness. The importance of auditory rehabilitation will be summarized along with factors that may influence outcomes.
Learning Points:
1. What are the binaural benefits of providing a cochlear implant for single-sided deafness?
2. What factors should be considered to determine candidacy for a cochlear implant for single-sided deafness?
3. How can subjective questionnaires complement objective measures to quantify outcomes of a cochlear implant for single-sided deafness?
SPEAKER BIO: Kari Smilsky, Senior Audiologist, Cochlear Implant Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Lecturer, University of Toronto: Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Kari Smilsky is an audiologist who has been employed at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto for the past twenty-two years. She has worked with the Cochlear Implant Program since 2006. Kari holds a Masters of Clinical Science Degree from the University of Western Ontario in Communication Disorders and a Bachelor of Science Degree from McMaster University. In additional to working clinically with cochlear implant patients, Kari’s research interests include bilateral cochlear implants, single-sided deafness, auditory brainstem implants, hearing preservation, and the expansion of cochlear implant candidacy. Through her involvement in the Canadian Cochlear Implant Centres Group, Kari has been involved in the development of national clinical standards for bilateral cochlear implant candidacy and provision of cochlear implants for single-sided deafness. Kari sits on the Audiology Advisory Board
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