The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has performed the first cochlear implant surgeries for three children to restore their hearing loss.
The groundbreaking surgeries were undertaken by a medical team comprising specialist from the KBTH and the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department of the University of Alexandria, Egypt.
The combined team was led by the Head of Cochlear Implantation at the Alexandria School of Medicine in Egypt, Professor Ahmed Mehanna, and the African Development and Regional Manager of the Med- EL Hearing Implant Company in Austria, Mohamed El Disouey.
A cochlear implant is a system that helps to restore the sense of hearing for individuals with sever-to-profound hearing loss.
It is an electronic device consisting of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin.
It gives access to sound by by-passing the non-functioning parts of the ear and electrically stimulating the nerve fibres that detect sounds which is then relayed to the brain.
Head of New Allied Surgery and ENT at the KBTH, Dr Kenneth Baidoo, explained that the three patients who benefited from the surgeries are all recovering as scheduled.
He said the introduction of the medical technology would help improve treatment options for patients with hearing impairment and end Patient’s travel outside to seek such services.
“We want to build a world-class facility for services in ENT in Ghana and the West African sub-region,” he said.
Engineer Mohammed Disouey said the implant system consisted of two main components — an external audio processor and an internal cochlear implant.
He said after the surgery, patients would be provided with an audio processor which is worn either on or off the ear.
He further explained that the audio processor was connected to the implant by a magnet, while the implant was placed under the skin during a straightforward surgical procedure.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri