MUSCAT : The cochlear implant team at the hospital, affiliated with the General Directorate of Khoula Hospital, provides integrated services covering diagnosis, surgery, treatment and rehabilitation in line with current medical practices.

The hospital has also expanded its surgical approaches, including performing selected cochlear implant procedures under local anaesthesia based on the patient’s medical condition and the assessment of the specialist medical team.

A cochlear implant is an electronic device surgically placed in the inner ear to help people with severe to profound hearing loss who receive insufficient benefit from conventional hearing aids. The device stimulates the auditory nerve, allowing the brain to receive sound signals.

The hospital said cochlear implantation can improve hearing and speech understanding, support communication and social interaction, and contribute to language and speech development in children, ultimately improving quality of life.

As part of efforts to expand access to specialized care, the cochlear implant team conducts periodic visits to governorates across Oman to perform surgeries and make specialist services more accessible to beneficiaries.

Al Nahda Hospital has also stressed the importance of early diagnosis and intervention for hearing loss, particularly among children. It said successful cochlear implantation depends not only on the surgery but also on appropriate auditory and language rehabilitation and regular post-operative follow-up.

The hospital said the work forms part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to expand specialised healthcare services and improve the quality of care available to patients.

The cochlear implant team has also performed a procedure on a nine-week-old infant, described by the hospital as one of the youngest patients to undergo cochlear implantation, highlighting the team’s expertise in the specialised field.

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