MGM Healthcare Performs First-of-Its-Kind Bilateral Cochlear Implant Surgery with immediate activation, Restores Hearing for Software Professional

MGM Healthcare has successfully performed a simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant surgery with immediate activation of the implants, restoring hearing for a 35-year-old software professional from Chennai who had progressively lost her hearing following a COVID-19 infection. This is the first surgery of its kind in the world, combining bilateral simultaneous cochlear implantation with immediate post-operative switch-on in a single procedure, unlike the conventional approach where implant activation is delayed by days or weeks after surgery.

The patient, a mother of two, was discharged within 48 hours of surgery. With preserved speech and cognitive abilities, she is expected to achieve significant improvement in speech comprehension and functional hearing within 2–3 months.

The patient works as a manager in a multinational IT company, where her role involved extensive virtual meetings and digital communication while working from home. After contracting COVID-19 a few years ago, she experienced a gradual decline in hearing, which rapidly progressed over the past six months to complete hearing loss in both ears, severely affecting her professional performance and quality of life.

A comprehensive diagnostic evaluation was conducted, including detailed audiological assessments, CT scans, and MRI scans of the brain and temporal bones. Based on the findings, she was diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD), also known as auditory dys-synchrony, a condition in which sound enters the inner ear normally, but the signals from the cochlea, the spiral-shaped, fluid-filled inner ear structure responsible for hearing, fail to reach the brain in a clear or coordinated manner, resulting in profound difficulty comprehending sounds.

The patient underwent simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation, in which cochlear implants were placed in both ears during a single surgery, with immediate intraoperative activation of both implants. A cochlear implant bypasses damaged inner ear cells and directly stimulates the auditory nerve, enabling sound perception.

The surgery, which lasted approximately 5–6 hours, was led by Dr Sanjeev Mohanty, Senior Consultant & Head, ENT, Head & Neck Surgery, and supported by a multidisciplinary team comprising audiologists, a dedicated anaesthesiology team, speech and auditory-verbal therapists, and specialised nursing staff.

Commenting on the case, Dr Mohanty said, “Based on available literature, this is the first documented global case of simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation with immediate switch-on in a patient with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder. Early activation allows immediate auditory stimulation and supports faster rehabilitation. The procedure was performed using advanced surgical technologies, including Smart Navigation (Smart NAV) guidance for real-time precision, high-resolution neurosurgical microscopes for enhanced visualisation, continuous facial nerve monitoring for safety, and minimal drilling techniques to reduce tissue trauma and enable quicker recovery.”