S.C. site is 1st in U.S. to lead new cochlear implant trial

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston will be the first clinical trial site in the country to test a new cochlear implant for people with hearing loss.

The university will kick off the trial this week and leaders behind the trial hope that it can lower the barriers to cochlear implants and improve communication abilities for their patients.

The trial will test out a new type of cochlear implant that goes completely underneath the skin and can provide several benefits in comparison to a typical cochlear implant.

A traditional cochlear implant’s external processor requires charging and typically cannot be worn at night, so doctors say that patients often have safety concerns with being unable to hear things like alarms or burglars at night. A typical cochlear implant also poses the risk of falling out during activities, like sports or swimming.

This new implant, created by Envoy Medical in Minneapolis, allows a patient to have 24-hour hearing with charging only every four to five days, which can be done at night while it is still worn. It gets rid of the external microphone part and uses the body’s own natural hearing process to detect sound.

The new plant is completely internal, so there is no visible showing of the implant. The battery sits in the chest, so the charging process just requires the patient to wear a simple pad on their chest while they sleep.

Dr. Teddy McRackan is the medical director for the MUSC Health Cochlear Implant Program and is one of the doctors leading this trial.

McRackan says that they do over 200 cochlear implants a year at MUSC currently; however, only about 5-10% of patients who need the implant will get it because of the physical appearance and inconsistency of it. He believes this trial could change the lives of many.

He says that in the medical world they don’t often consider a patient’s concern with physical appearance, but the reality is that that is something important to many.

“Being in the medical field and a surgeon, we kind of don’t really consider the cosmetic issues that patients may have as much as patients might consider that. We get very used to cochlear implant technology, right? We see it on our patients every day. We’re very, very used to seeing it. We don’t notice any kind of thing being unusual about it. But there’s patients out there who that is a barrier to getting a cochlear implant,” he says.

McRackan says he has hope for the future of the trial and that it means a lot to be one of the first sites selected for it.

“We have an incredible team at MUSC, five full-time cochlear implant audiologists, six cochlear implant surgeons and, you know, a team that works together extremely well. So, I think it’s great to be selected to be a part of it. It shows that there’s trust within the cochlear implant community and industry in our program. And I think it just shows that we’re kind of continuing to be on the leading edge of what’s available for hearing health care. Whatever technologies exist. So, it’s great to be part of it,” he says.

MUSC just opened enrollment for this trial last week and they are still seeking patients. They will begin looking at candidates this week.

To qualify for this trial, patients must be adults who suffer from hearing loss in both ears. The patient must already meet traditional cochlear implant criteria, meaning they have tried hearing aids in the past and did not see much effect. There are also speech requirements as the patient must meet lower levels of speech recognition to qualify as a candidate.

Candidates will be put through some rigorous testing and undergo both imaging and speech testing to qualify. Once they are selected, the surgery takes about three to four hours, which is about two and a half hours longer than a traditional cochlear implant because it is a bit more meticulous. The patient will have to wait about three weeks after surgery before the device is activated and their journey with the trial begins.

For more information about the trial, those interested can the MUSC Cochlear Implant Program by calling 843-876-1308 or emailing [email protected].

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