{"id":133803,"date":"2024-08-16T21:54:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T01:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=133803"},"modified":"2024-08-16T21:54:36","modified_gmt":"2024-08-17T01:54:36","slug":"cochlear-implant-for-vietnam-vet-inserted-using-iotasoft-robotic-assisted-insertion-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=133803","title":{"rendered":"Cochlear Implant for Vietnam Vet Inserted Using iotaSOFT\u00ae Robotic-Assisted Insertion System"},"content":{"rendered":"

New technology helps smooth the way back to a world with sound<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. (Aug. 16, 2024) \u2014\u00a0<\/strong>Ronald Van Rossum, 74, enjoys walking his dog. He can tell when Lager is ready for his walk because he can hear his nails tapping across the hardwood floor toward the door. For a long time, he was unable to hear that and other sounds, including people speaking to him on the phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cHearing in my left ear started going bad two years ago,\u201d says Van Rossum, a Vietnam veteran from East Greenville, Pa., whose job at a printing company meant working with loud offset printers for years after he left the service. \u201cI wore hearing aids, and they helped for a while until this massive ringing started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Rossum consulted with Ravi Samy, MD, professor and Chief of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. Dr. Samy suggested a cochlear implant and explained how it would help him hear. “Mr. Van Rossum was a good candidate because he had lost all hearing in his left ear, and hearing aids were not helping him anymore,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Dr. Samy also believed Van Rossum would do well having the cochlear implant inserted using a new robotic-assisted system called iotaSOFT. Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) is one of the first centers in the country using the thumb-sized system to guide cochlear implant procedures. \u201cAfter talking with Dr. Samy, I really wanted the procedure,\u201d says Van Rossum, who was the first iotaSOFT patient to be implanted in Pennsylvania. \u201cI wasn\u2019t anxious at all. I couldn\u2019t wait to get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

An improvement in cochlear implants<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Dr. Samy, cochlear implants are no longer just for those with severe hearing loss. The small devices comprise the implant, which is surgically placed underneath the skin, and an audio processor that sits outside, behind the ear. One component of the internal implant is the electrode array, a long skinny part that extends into the cochlea or inner ear. It contains electrodes that stimulate the inner ear like the cochlea do, sending sound signals to the brain.<\/p>\n

The implants replace the damaged sensory hair cells inside the cochlea. Damaged or missing sensory hair cells do not regenerate, so this kind of hearing loss will not get better without treatment. While cochlear implants provide an improved quality of sound over that of hearing aids, they present challenges related to insertion, since even the best of surgical hands have a tremor.<\/p>\n

“The goal is to insert the array into the cochlea with as little trauma as possible. The membranes and structures are so delicate they can tear, like wet tissue paper,\u201d says Dr. Samy. He partnered with iotaMotion Inc., developers of the iotaSOFT Insertion System, to bring his patients this alternative. He remains committed to working with iotaMotion on the use of the system and future advancements of the technology. The system slows the process down, reducing the force and smoothing the insertion, so there is less disturbance to these sensitive areas.<\/p>\n

“We do the best we can but we\u2019re human,\u201d he says. \u201cThis system is truly a game changer for many patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

The birds are singing again<\/strong><\/p>\n

Van Rossum\u2019s life-changing moments started when his wife picked him up after the cochlear implant was activated by the audiologist. He noticed a sound he didn\u2019t recognize and then realized it was the car\u2019s turn signals. The amazement continued the next day at home. \u201cI was sitting outside and could hear the birds singing. They sounded so loud!\u201d<\/p>\n

After a cochlear implant, there is still work to do to produce good results. Van Rossum is now undergoing mapping \u2013 fine-tuning the implant for better listening outcomes \u2013 with audiologist Alicia Stanley, AuD. He is also working with speech-language pathologist Lindsay Reuter. \u201cMany people think that once you have the device activated, you can understand better right away,\u201d Stanley says. \u201cThat would be like running a marathon the day after you get a knee replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n

She explains that, with normal hearing, we can naturally filter out background noise and focus on what we are listening to. After an implant, it\u2019s necessary to retrain the brain to do that. \u201cRonald is a good example of a patient who is willing to put in the work, which can mean hours of aural rehab and listening therapies,\u201d Stanley says. \u201cHis family is seeing the results, and we\u2019re seeing the improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Rossum classifies himself as an ideal patient. \u201cI can\u2019t hear everything perfectly but every day it\u2019s getting better,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m so pleased; I have zero complaints.\u201d He acknowledges that his surgeon and the entire team made it a \u201ctruly amazing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in recovery, Dr. Samy came into the room, sat on a chair, and just chatted with me about all kinds of things,\u201d Van Rossum says. \u201cHe is an incredible surgeon and an incredible human being. I told Dr. Samy he was a gift from God.\u201d<\/p>\n

About Jefferson\u00a0<\/strong>
\nNationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region, Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 65,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic\/programmatic, clinical and applied research.\u00a0Thomas Jefferson University<\/a>, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering\u00a0200+<\/strong>\u00a0undergraduate and graduate programs to more than\u00a08,300 students.<\/strong>\u00a0Jefferson Health<\/a>, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at\u00a032 hospitals<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations<\/strong>\u00a0throughout the region.\u00a0Jefferson Health Plans<\/a>\u00a0is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.<\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nBrian Downs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New technology helps smooth the way back to a world with sound\u00a0 LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. (Aug. 16, 2024) \u2014\u00a0Ronald Van Rossum, 74, enjoys walking his dog. He can tell when … Continue reading Cochlear Implant for Vietnam Vet Inserted Using iotaSOFT\u00ae Robotic-Assisted Insertion System<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Cochlear-Implant.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133803"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=133803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/133804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=133803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=133803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=133803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}