Cuba Has Carried Out 360 Cochlear Implants

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 13 (acn) Cuba has carried out 360 cochlear implants, mainly on children and a total of 30 of these are hearing and visually impaired patients said Dr. Antonio Paz Cordovez, pioneer in the field.

Dr. Paz, head of the Otolaryngology Department of the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana told the Cuban News Agency that surgeries began in December of 1997 although an implant had been carried out in 1987 as an isolated case.

Although they operated on the first 21 patients in the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in 1998, the Cuban Program of Cochlear Implants emerged in 2005 thanks to the initiatives of the leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro with the objective to improve the quality of life of these people with total support for its individual and social development.

Dr. Paz Cordovez highlighted the achievements in the field and due to Cuba's recognition among the international community the Ibero-American Cochlear Implants Group was created.

The also President of the Cuban Otolaryngology Society said that the procedure is designed to replace the performance of the internal ear, which means, turning the acoustic signs of the environment into electric pulses that stimulate the hearing nerve directly.

The so called neuro-prothesis allows children with profound hearing disabilities to develop oral language and adults with post lingual deafness to recover their hearing.

The expert added that the ear pieces are provided by two leading companies in the field in the world and announced that they will soon begin simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants on patients that comply with the requirements.

This first world surgical technique is done in both ears at the same time, in addition, said the specialist, the country has begun the Program of Cochlear Implants for Foreigners through the Cuban Medical Services contributing in expanding the country's development in the field.

Cuba's advances in the field, with international prestige is one of the countries in the world with the most cochlear implants will be debated at the 35th Pan America Congress on Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery underway in Havana and will conclude on Thursday.

Havana's Convention Center is the site of the event with the participation of over 800 representatives from 43 nations.