Cochlear Implant & Hearing Rehabilitation at Fudan University Eye & ENT Hospital Shanghai | CMCS

China's Premier Center for Cochlear Implantation & Hearing Rehabilitation

The Cochlear Implant Center at Fudan University Eye & ENT Hospital (EENT Hospital) is one of China's most distinguished and highest-volume cochlear implantation programs, with a national and international reputation for excellence in cochlear implantation for children and adults, auditory brainstem implantation, bilateral cochlear implantation, revision cochlear implant surgery, and comprehensive hearing rehabilitation. As China's only dedicated eye and ENT specialty hospital at the tertiary level, EENT Hospital's cochlear implant center combines outstanding surgical expertise with a world-class audiology and rehabilitation program, offering international patients access to some of China's most eminent cochlear implant surgeons and audiologists.

For international families with a child with severe-to-profound hearing loss, or adults with acquired hearing loss seeking cochlear implantation in Shanghai — EENT Hospital's cochlear implant center offers an unparalleled combination of surgical expertise, audiological assessment, and rehabilitation leadership. China Medical Concierge Shanghai (CMCS) provides seamless end-to-end coordination for international patients throughout their cochlear implant journey at EENT Hospital.

About the Center

EENT Hospital's cochlear implant center is a national key clinical specialty performing hundreds of cochlear implant surgeries annually, making it one of the highest-volume cochlear implant programs in China. The center operates a comprehensive audiology laboratory, a cochlear implant surgical program, a speech and language therapy department, a hearing rehabilitation program, a genetic hearing loss clinic, and works in close collaboration with otology, pediatric neurology, genetics, and radiology through a fully integrated multidisciplinary team.

Faculty members publish regularly in leading otology and audiology journals including Ear and Hearing, Otology & Neurotology, Cochlear Implants International, International Journal of Audiology, and Hearing Research.

Cochlear Implant Candidacy Assessment

Audiological Evaluation

• Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) — Air and bone conduction thresholds; audiogram interpretation; degree and configuration of hearing loss
• Speech Audiometry — Word recognition scores (WRS); speech perception in quiet and noise; aided speech perception with hearing aids
• Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) — Click and tone-burst ABR for threshold estimation; electrocochleography (ECochG); auditory steady-state response (ASSR)
• Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) — Transient evoked OAE (TEOAE) and distortion product OAE (DPOAE) for cochlear hair cell function assessment
• Hearing Aid Trial — Optimal hearing aid fitting and trial period before cochlear implant candidacy confirmation; aided audiogram and speech perception assessment
• Promontory Stimulation Test — For assessment of auditory nerve function in patients with uncertain cochlear nerve status

Radiological Evaluation

• High-Resolution CT of Temporal Bones — Cochlear anatomy; cochlear ossification; inner ear malformations; facial nerve course; mastoid pneumatization
• MRI of Internal Auditory Canals & Brain — Cochlear nerve presence and size; retrocochlear pathology; brain anatomy; cochlear nerve deficiency (CND) assessment
• Inner Ear Malformation Classification — Michel aplasia; cochlear aplasia; common cavity; incomplete partition (IP-I, IP-II/Mondini, IP-III); cochlear hypoplasia; enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA)

Medical & Developmental Assessment

• Pediatric Developmental Assessment — Cognitive and developmental evaluation for children; assessment of additional disabilities that may affect rehabilitation outcomes
• Genetic Evaluation — GJB2 (connexin 26) and GJB6 mutation testing; comprehensive genetic hearing loss panel; SLC26A4 for EVA/Pendred syndrome; TMPRSS3; MYO15A; OTOF for auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD)
• Vestibular Assessment — Caloric testing; video head impulse test (vHIT); vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP)

Cochlear Implant Surgery

Standard Cochlear Implantation

• Surgical Approach — Mastoidectomy with posterior tympanotomy; round window or cochleostomy insertion; minimally invasive approaches; image-guided surgery for complex anatomy
• Electrode Arrays — Full insertion lateral wall electrodes (Cochlear Nucleus, MED-EL, Advanced Bionics, Nurotron); perimodiolar electrodes for closer proximity to spiral ganglion; flexible slim electrodes for hearing preservation
• Hearing Preservation Surgery — Soft surgery technique; round window insertion; short and slim electrodes; preservation of residual low-frequency hearing for electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS)
• Implant Systems Available — Cochlear Nucleus (Profile Plus, Kanso 2); MED-EL (SYNCHRONY 2, RONDO 3); Advanced Bionics (HiRes Ultra 3D); Nurotron (domestic Chinese system); selection based on anatomy, lifestyle, and patient preference

Complex & Challenging Cases

• Cochlear Ossification — Drill-out technique for partially or completely ossified cochleae (post-meningitis, otosclerosis); split electrode arrays; double array insertion
• Inner Ear Malformations — Common cavity implantation; incomplete partition type I, II, and III; cochlear hypoplasia; one of China's most experienced centers for malformation cases
• Cochlear Nerve Deficiency (CND) — Careful candidacy assessment; auditory brainstem implant (ABI) consideration for absent cochlear nerve
• Single-Sided Deafness (SSD) — Cochlear implantation for SSD to restore binaural hearing; tinnitus suppression benefit
• Revision Cochlear Implant Surgery — Device failure; migration; infection; explantation and reimplantation; fibrosis management
• Bilateral Cochlear Implantation — Simultaneous bilateral CI for children; sequential bilateral CI for adults; binaural hearing benefits for sound localization and speech in noise

Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI)

• ABI Indications — Bilateral cochlear nerve aplasia/hypoplasia; neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) after acoustic neuroma removal; cochlear ossification with absent cochlear nerve; failed cochlear implant
• ABI Surgery — Retrosigmoid or translabyrinthine approach; electrode placement on cochlear nucleus in brainstem; intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring; collaboration with neurosurgery
• ABI Outcomes — Environmental sound awareness; lip-reading enhancement; open-set speech perception in selected patients

Hearing Rehabilitation Program

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) for Children

• Early Intervention — Rehabilitation begins within weeks of cochlear implant activation; intensive auditory verbal therapy; parent coaching as primary rehabilitation agents
• Listening & Spoken Language Development — Detection, discrimination, identification, and comprehension of sounds and speech; age-appropriate language development milestones
• School Integration Support — Guidance for mainstream school placement; FM system and remote microphone technology; teacher of the deaf consultation

Adult Rehabilitation

• Cochlear Implant Mapping (Programming) — Initial activation; threshold (T-level) and comfort (C-level) setting; MAP optimization over time; remote programming capability
• Auditory Training — Computer-based auditory training programs; music appreciation training; telephone use training
• Communication Strategy Training — Lip-reading; communication repair strategies; assistive listening devices

Electric-Acoustic Stimulation (EAS)

• For patients with residual low-frequency hearing preserved after hearing preservation cochlear implant surgery
• Combined electric stimulation (cochlear implant) for high frequencies + acoustic amplification (hearing aid) for low frequencies in the same ear
• Superior speech perception in noise compared to cochlear implant alone
• Superior music perception

Genetic Hearing Loss Program

EENT Hospital's genetic hearing loss program is one of the most comprehensive in China:

• Comprehensive Genetic Panel — NGS panel for 200+ genes associated with hereditary hearing loss; whole exome sequencing for undiagnosed cases
• GJB2 (Connexin 26) — Most common cause of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss; excellent cochlear implant outcomes
• SLC26A4 (Pendred Syndrome/EVA) — Enlarged vestibular aqueduct; fluctuating hearing loss; cochlear implant outcomes
• OTOF (Auditory Neuropathy) — Otoferlin mutations; auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder; excellent cochlear implant outcomes; gene therapy clinical trials for OTOF-ANSD
• Usher Syndrome — Combined hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa; cochlear implant for hearing; coordination with retina for vision monitoring
• Genetic Counseling — Pre- and post-test counseling; family cascade testing; reproductive counseling

Gene Therapy for Hearing Loss

EENT Hospital is one of China's pioneering centers for gene therapy in hereditary hearing loss:

• OTOF Gene Therapy — AAV-mediated otoferlin gene replacement for OTOF-associated auditory neuropathy; EENT Hospital has participated in landmark clinical trials demonstrating hearing restoration in children with OTOF mutations — one of the most exciting developments in hearing loss treatment in decades
• GJB2 Gene Therapy — Investigational AAV-mediated connexin 26 gene therapy; clinical trials
• STRC Gene Therapy — Investigational for stereocilin-associated hearing loss

Why International Patients Choose EENT Hospital Cochlear Implant Center

• High-Volume Program — One of China's highest-volume cochlear implant programs with outcomes benchmarked against international standards
• Complex Case Expertise — Inner ear malformations, cochlear ossification, CND, and revision surgery — one of China's most experienced centers for challenging cases
• Bilateral Implantation — Simultaneous bilateral CI for children; binaural hearing restoration
• Gene Therapy Leadership — Pioneering OTOF gene therapy program; one of the first centers in China to restore hearing with gene therapy
• Comprehensive Rehabilitation — Intensive auditory verbal therapy; remote programming; school integration support
• Cost-Effectiveness — World-class cochlear implantation at significantly lower cost than equivalent treatment in Western countries

The CMCS Patient Journey

1. Initial Inquiry — Share your audiological reports (PTA, ABR, OAE), CT and MRI of temporal bones, hearing aid trial results, and developmental history with CMCS.
2. Medical Record Preparation — We translate and organize your records for specialist pre-consultation review.
3. Specialist Matching — We identify the most appropriate cochlear implant surgeon and audiologist based on your diagnosis and anatomy.
4. Candidacy Assessment Coordination — We coordinate your pre-implant assessment including audiology, radiology, genetics, and developmental evaluation.
5. Priority Scheduling — We secure a consultation and surgical slot with minimal waiting time.
6. Travel & Logistics — Assistance with visa invitation letters, family accommodation near EENT Hospital for the surgery and initial rehabilitation period, and Shanghai airport transfers.
7. Surgical & Activation Support — Full coordination of surgical admission, device activation, and initial mapping sessions.
8. Rehabilitation Follow-Up — Remote programming coordination, rehabilitation guidance, and follow-up after you return home.

Book a Consultation

If you or your child has severe-to-profound hearing loss and is seeking cochlear implantation or hearing rehabilitation in Shanghai — CMCS can arrange a specialist consultation with EENT Hospital's cochlear implant center.

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