Question about Role of AuD in Cochlear Implants

[YankeeinTN12]

Hey guys,

I'm currently a Junior at MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN. I am a Recording Industry major with a concentration in Audio Engineering. I recently become interested in the field of Audiology after it was mentioned by a professor in my "critical listening" course. He mentioned how the industry and job market are booming in this particular field. He also mentioned how rewarding such a career could be. With the exceptional competition within the recording industry I have more recently been looking for alternate paths. Thus far my research into Audiology has left me intrigued. I intend on taking some courses at my current institution to better evaluate if this truly is what I want to continue my education in.

Up to this point in my research I have come across one issue. I have personally never looked into medicine prior to this. Mostly because I am pretty squeemish when it comes to invasive surgery. So my question to any active Audiologist is exactly what role does the audiologist play in the cochlear implant procedure? Is the surgery done completely by the audiologist or a licensed surgeon? Thanks for ya'lls help!

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[SLP]

an ENT surgeon does ALL of the surgery, anything an audiologist does is AFTER recovery from surgery, such as programming, hearing tests, auditory verbal therapy

 

[BigAl]

an ENT surgeon does ALL of the surgery, anything an audiologist does is AFTER recovery from surgery, such as programming, hearing tests, auditory verbal therapy

An audiologist is very involved prior to surgery as well. A cochlear candidate needs to meet certain parameters to be eligible for implantation. This is determined by the audiologist. Pre-implant counseling is also performed by the audiologist. During the surgery it is most likely that an audiologist will be monitoring the facial nerve status, and checking impedance after insertion of the electrode. After the surgery the audiologist maps the implant, which doesn't not occur right away and takes several visits, and also counsels and refers to rehabilitative therapy, such as SLP. This is a long process and the audiologist is involved from the beginning.