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International Cochlear Implant Day is celebrated on February 25, when the first cochlear implant was placed in Paris in 1957 by French doctors André Djourno and Charles Eyriès.

Suitable for people with severe to deep sensorineural deafness, who do not present benefits with hearing aids, the cochlear implant is an electronic medical device, surgically implanted, that transforms sound signals into electrical signals. These signals will directly stimulate the auditory nerve by promoting a hearing sensation, allowing the person to have useful hearing.

The surgery begins the rehabilitation process, followed by the activation of the implant, which occurs 3 to 4 weeks later. At first the auditory sensations appear. Over time, the brain seeks the best adaptation to the stimulus and the quality of auditory perception increases. However, auditory-verbal and communicational rehabilitation, so that the brain interprets the sound it receives through the cochlear implant, is carried out for several weeks or even months, being the involvement and daily work fundamental to achieve the desired results and continue the work of the therapists.

In Portugal, the first cochlear implant surgery was performed in 1985 in Coimbra. According to the University Hospital Center of Coimbra, according to data from 2020, in 35 years, 1247 cochlear implants were performed, of which 600 in children and 647 in adults.

Currently, Portugal has 7 reference centers in the area of cochlear implants.

More information on the portal of the Portuguese Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery.