South Australian Cochlear Implant Centre
Click image to enlargeTranscript : Opening a world of sound
By Georgia Gowing
Two eastern suburbs doctors have launched South Australia's first private Cochlear implant centre.
Ear, nose and throat surgeons Dr Rob Morrissey and Dr Paul Varley opened the South Australian Cochlear Implant Centre on Morphett St, in the city, for a 12 month pilot program in July 2004 to test public demand.
Dr Morrissey said Cochlear implants could help people who had lost their hearing after they learned to talk, but who could not hear well enough with a hearing aid.
"People can more easily track normal conversation with an implant," Dr Morrissey said.
"You can hear more words and you can appreciate the flow.
"A reasonable number can also use a mobile phone with their implant and some lucky people can even get an appreciation of music, though that's uncommon."
Dr Morrissey said 30 adults had received implants during the trial, but the centre could cater for up to 40 people a year.
About four private patients a year were having the implants before the pilot program started.
The public system provides for five operations a year fro adults at Flinders Medical centre.
All Cochlear implants for children are done at the Women's and Children's Hospital.
Dr Varley and Dr Morrissey do the centre's operations at St Andrew's Hospital, with the Morphett St clinic providing audiology, counselling and maintenance on the devices after they have been implanted.
The first Cochlear implant was performed in SA in 1986.
An estimated 500 to 1000 adults in South Australia could benefit form the device.
Caption: Hearing Breakthrough: Keith Chiveralls and Robert Morrissey from SA's first private Cochlear Implant centre.