Four to six weeks following surgery the speech processor will be programmed. Threshold and comfort levels are obtained for each electrode on the internal array, which creates a “map”that is stored on a computer chip inside your processor. This process is usually done in two to three hours.

During the first three months of wearing the device, some fine-tuning needs to take place. Numerous “mapping” sessions may need to be performed to obtain the best possible sound for each patient. Typically once a stable map is established, the map is checked and speech perception testing is performed every six months following activation.