The surgery has registered a more than 90 per cent success rate in properly selected cases, says consultant ENT (ear nose throat) surgeon Dr K G Mathew.

He heads the division of ear and nose diseases at the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Trivandrum, Kerala.

Dr Mathew will examine patients at a free medical camp organised by the KIMS Bahrain Medical Centre, Umm Al Hassam tomorrow and on Thursday.

He will evaluate hearing disorders and sinus diseases.

The camp timings are 10am to 12.30pm and 4pm to 6pm.

Cochlear implant is a device which is placed in the inner ear (cochlea) of patients who have absolutely no hearing and who get no benefit from using the most powerful hearing aids, Dr Mathew told the GDN.

"This surgery is done only in select ENT centres around the world because it needs dedicated team work by the ENT surgeon, audiologist, verbal therapist, psychologist and the parents of the child," he added.

An implant programme started at Salmaniya Medical Complex earlier this year.

Dr Mathew, who was instrumental in developing the cochlear implant surgery in KIMS, Trivandrum, was trained in Germany at the University of Wursburg, which is one of the world renowned centre for this surgery.

He also had his training in Madras in ear surgery and endoscopic nose surgery.

There are two groups of patients who would benefit most from cochlear implant surgery, said Dr Mathew:

* Post-lingual individuals: Adults/children who have completely lost their hearing in both ears after having acquired good speech.

This could be the result of road accidents, head injury or meningitis .

* Pre-lingual children: Children who are deaf from birth and hence are unable to speak.

If surgery is done at the right time (ideal age two to four years), these children can be brought back into mainstream society.

An audiogram can identify the type and severity of deafness.

Patients who have defects in their ear drums or small bones of the middle ear will get good hearing by undergoing surgery.

The remaining majority of patients (those with defects with their nerves of hearing) can get good hearing with advanced digital hearing aids.

Dr Mathew's other interest is in endoscopic surgery for treating sinus diseases He has also teamed up with neurosurgeons and ophthalmologists to treat many diseases using nasal endoscopes.

Dr Mathew has successfully removed tumours from the brain (pituitary gland) and also repaired cerebro spinal fluid leaks from the brain, using endoscopes.

Health Under-Secretary Dr Aziz Hamza recently visited KIMS, Trivandrum, which is a 500-bed, ISO 9001:2000 certified, tertiary healthcare multispeciality hospital.

From Gulf Daily News