University Hospital gives ‘gift of hearing’ to expat girl

Sharjah / Emirates Business

University Hospital Sharjah (UHS) conducted its first cochlear implant procedure on an eight-year-old girl who was born with hearing difficulty, giving her the ‘gift of hearing’. After a two-week break to recover from the operation, the girl returned to the hospital for a follow up where the cochlear implant was activated for the first time by Dr Muhammed Ayas, Senior Audiologist at UHS.
Nafiya, an Indian expatriate girl, is now able to hear sounds for the first time since she was born, thanks to the surgery which was performed by two renowned surgeons from UHS- Dr Ahmad Munzer Al Waa, Head of ENT
Department and Dr Faheem Tadros,
Consultant ENT Surgeon.
Dr Munzer said, “This was the first cochlear implant procedure at UHS and more similar operations will be conducted as there is an increasing number of infants who are born with hearing impairments”.
Dr Ayas expressed his happiness by saying, “It is such a wonderful moment for the child, parents, and the doctors, when the child is invited into the world of sound after the CI activation.”
“An electrode is implanted in the inner ear where the child is able to hear sounds for the first time and that the sounds Nafiya hears are new through the cochlear implant and gradually with the help of special software sounds are adjusted to near normal level. This would eventually help her hear all the sounds and cope up with the communication demands. Cochlear implants are designed for patients who cannot hear even with a hearing aid.”
The procedure was very delicate and took a couple of hours for the two surgeons. “There are two components; one that is implanted in the inner ear, that receives sounds in the form of vibrations. The technology of the implant is so advanced that the little girl will be able to hear sounds underwater when she swims,” the doctors explained.
Dr Tadros mentioned, “He has done many cochlear implant surgeries on children in his long illustrious career as a surgeon, and he feels, none matches with the beautiful smile of the child, when they hear for the first time. The cochlear implant program is a team effort in which, surgeons, audiologists and other health care providers, play equal role in enhancing the quality of life of hearing impaired children”.
Dr Munzer explained, “The ‘golden age’ for an implant is between ages one to three, so the child can be taught language skills easily. However, children above 3 years also receives CI provided they meet the criteria”. Sharjah TV sponsored the cost of the procedure for the Indian expatriate girl through its charity wing. A cochlear implant costs about AED 150,000. Most children are surprised when they hear sound for the first time. “Some children will cry, while others will laugh,” said Dr Munzer on the reaction of the patients.
The operation can also be performed on adults and it is much easier for these patients to adjust as their speech has already developed. The doctor said, “He is seeing more patients with hearing loss. There are various reasons why children are being born hearing impaired: it could be hereditary, the mother could have a viral infection during pregnancy, the infant could have received less oxygen during birth, or it could be due to meningitis disease”.
Nafiya’s father commented, “Now my daughter can hear us speak to her. She will listen to music, the birds sing, and all the sounds of the world for the first time. This is a special day for our family and is one that we will never forget. And he thanks Sharjah TV and UHS doctors for their excellent care during and after the CI surgery”.
Hearing loss is a common birth defect in the UAE. UHS had screened 2000 newborns for hearing over the years and babies with hearing problems are addressed by the specially trained Neonatologist, Pediatricians, Audiologists and ENT doctors, along with the newest equipment’s and technologies that are available at UHS.