You know, I was thinking about this recently. Since the operation is quite expensive (tens of thousands of dollars), insurance coverage is a must. It's hard to get insurance coverage for a new internal component if mine is still functional. Also, today's technology - in terms of the internal component - is not that much better than what I got in 1991. For example, right now I have 22 channels, but the best that one can get today is 24 channels. The improvement is relatively small for the amount of hassle that I would have to go through to get that improvement - surgery, recovery time, etc.
Like all surgeries, cochlear implant surgery has risks. I don't want to take heedless risks, so I'm content with what I have for right now. Although I think I would get the surgery if the implant was 100% internal - no more external parts!
Comments
Do you consider getting an upgraded implant someday, or is that not practical?
You know, I was thinking about this recently. Since the operation is quite expensive (tens of thousands of dollars), insurance coverage is a must. It's hard to get insurance coverage for a new internal component if mine is still functional. Also, today's technology - in terms of the internal component - is not that much better than what I got in 1991. For example, right now I have 22 channels, but the best that one can get today is 24 channels. The improvement is relatively small for the amount of hassle that I would have to go through to get that improvement - surgery, recovery time, etc.
Like all surgeries, cochlear implant surgery has risks. I don't want to take heedless risks, so I'm content with what I have for right now. Although I think I would get the surgery if the implant was 100% internal - no more external parts!