Ear, Nose, and Throat (Otolaryngology)

Hearing Loss

The Hearing and Speech Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Division of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and rehabilitation services for people with hearing loss. These centers perform a number of examinations to determine the presence, extent, location, magnitude, and qualities of hearing loss.

Once hearing loss has been diagnosed, patients have access to the most current technologies to manage it, including digital hearing aids, implantable devices, assistive listening devices, and personal amplification systems. Rehabilitation services include speech reading, auditory training, management of tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and orienting patients to the use of hearing aids.

Doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital are skilled in cochlear implant surgery to restore hearing in patients with severe hearing loss. A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that is implanted into the cochlea of the inner ear and is used in tandem with an external microphone and sound processor that are usually worn like a hearing aid around the ear. The implant allows a hearing-impaired user to recognize and understand speech so that he or she regains the ability to have a conversation, use a telephone, and enjoy other social activities.