Am I too old for a cochlear implant?

Short answer is no. Surgery in the elderly is generally very well tolerated. The risk of complications in this group are more closely related to overall health rather than age. So medical health, not age is the limitation for a cochlear iplant Some patients have heart and lung conditions that place them at higher risk. For these patients, surgery is routinely done under local anesthesia with sedation.

Research clearly shows that untreated hearing loss in the elderly is unhealthy. Untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation, dementia (senility), and mental/cognitive decline. Cochlear implants have been shown to decrease the rate of cognitive decline.

Cochlear implants are like knee replacements and other surgeries. The longer surgery is delayed, recovery becomes more difficult and the outcome is less favorable.