Medical Procedures With a Cochlear Implant: The Ultimate Guide

The latest MED-EL cochlear implants are designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle. Swimming, video calls, singing—there’s so much you can do with a cochlear implant. But when it comes to medical procedures, there are certain things to be aware of. The good news: you can undergo most common procedures, like MRIs, X-rays, and ultrasounds with a MED-EL cochlear implant.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s possible, plus which medical procedures you should avoid with a cochlear implant.

Which Medical Procedures Can I Have With a Cochlear Implant?

Cochlear implants contain electrical components and magnets. So we’re often asked if diagnostic tools, medical imaging procedures, and other advanced treatments pose any risks or problems for our users.

Thankfully, the procedures below can be done with a MED-EL cochlear implant—as long as certain guidelines are followed. This means that it’s always important to make your medical team aware of your cochlear implant.

X-Rays, Mammograms, and CT Scans

• Yes! Having an X-ray with a cochlear implant is no big deal. However, you should remove your audio processor and make the technician aware of your CI. Specific types of X-rays, such as dental X-rays, mammograms, bone density scans, and CT scans are also safe for cochlear implant users.

Ultrasounds

• Need an ultrasound? Diagnostic ultrasounds, such as those used during pregnancy, are safe for cochlear implant users. However, ultrasound diathermy, also called ultrasonic therapy, should not be used in the area of the implant. As always, we recommend checking with your medical team and removing your audio processor.

TENS Machines

• Lots of people use TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) machines to help with pain in the lower back and stomach areas—and cochlear implant users can too! But don’t use a TENs machine on your head or within 20 cm of the implant as there is a risk of interference.

MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

• All MED-EL cochlear implants can undergo MRI scans at 1.5 Tesla, the low-definition scan resolution. And with our latest cochlear implants, SYNCHRONY and SYNCHRONY 2, you can even have high-definition scans at 3.0 Tesla.** Note that cochlear implants from other companies often have different MRI conditions.

Great Protection. Guaranteed.

Because of our long and positive experience with MRIs and cochlear implants, we’re the only hearing implant company to offer a life-long MRI guarantee. We promise to replace your implant in the very unlikely event that it’s damaged during an MRI scan.*

• Valid for all MED-EL cochlear implants since 1994
• Life-long and worldwide
• The first and only to be offered by any hearing implant company.

Radiotherapy

• Radiotherapy (sometimes known as radiation therapy) is also suitable for cochlear implant users, as long as the beam doesn’t come into direct contact with your CI. Some adjustments might also be needed to the and type of beam used, so informing your medical and CI team is crucial. You will need to remove your audio processor for the procedure and might be advised to leave it off for a period of time after the treatment.

Facelifts

• A facelift is possible with a cochlear implant. Make your surgeon aware of your CI so they can plan the surgery accordingly, especially if they use electrosurgery. Monopolar electrosurgical instruments can’t be used in the head or neck region if you have a CI. Bipolar electrosurgical instruments need to stay at least 2 cm away from the implant.

Dental Work

• This really depends on the work being done, so it’s important to tell your dentist about your CI. Routine procedures like fillings or extractions shouldn’t affect your cochlear implant. Ultrasonic tooth cleaners and electrosurgery have some restrictions for cochlear implant users.

Laser Hair Removal and Electrolysis

• Removing hair with lasers or electrolysis is possible even if you have a cochlear implant, but location is key. Neither of these should be done close to the implant site. As always, inform your technician so they can take the necessary precautions. You should also take off your audio processor.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) does not pose any known safety concerns for cochlear implant users. While hormones can influence natural hearing, they don’t affect the implant’s function or safety. If you’re undergoing HRT, simply inform your doctor about your CI so they can consider your overall health and hearing needs.

Which Medical Procedures Need to Be Checked Carefully?

There are some medical procedures that might not be possible at all depending on the location or strength of the treatment. Please check directly with your implant team first.  These include:

• Electrosurgery with monopolar electrosurgical instruments in the head and neck region
• Therapeutic diathermy
• Neurostimulation
• Electro-convulsive therapy
• Electric hay fever relievers
• Ionizing Radiation Therapy

New medical treatments are being developed all the time. So even if the procedure you’re interested in isn’t mentioned in this article, you should always tell your healthcare provider about your cochlear implant and refer them to the medical procedures manual. You can find the right one for your device and country on medel.com.