Gray Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 Hi guys, I've been reading your posts for a while now. I have a question i would like to ask and i'd be really pleased if you could give me some insider info. We have an 11 month old baby girl who has bilateral sensorineural hearing loss since birth. We are having CI surgery in 3 weeks. We are between Med-el and Oticon for our baby. Each of them has slight advantages but nothing really jumps out. I don't know if the site is sponsored by Med-el but i don't think i saw any thorough discussion about another implant company. So i would like to know if there are any Oticon CI users out there and are they happy with Neuro 1? I also would really love some comparison between these two. Thanks in advance.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenni Posted June 3, 2017 Report Share Posted June 3, 2017 I'm not aware of the Oticon product in the US. However, as I looked at their website, I didn't see anything about MRI safety. MEDEL Synchrony is the only implant that can undergo MRI at 3.0 Tesla strength without having the magnet removed. As your child's internal component is going to be there for a very long time, this type of safety could be very important in her lifetime, as MRI scans are increasingly used for all types of medical issues. MEDEL's electrode arrays are extremely flexible so as not to damage the delicate structure of the cochlea. The electrode array is also the the longest on the market to provide complete coverage of all the pitch areas of the cochlea. My husband has had his MEDEL implant for almost 16 years -- through the use of 4 processor upgrades! Amazing technology, amazing people! So... you might say I lean towards the MEDEL product! Best of luck in your search for answers and your little girl's journey! hadron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Dear Jenni, Thank you for your response. I really appreciate you took the time to search about Oticon. You are right, Med-El is the only one that you can undergo at 3 Tesla. At Oticon, this is 1.5 Tesla. I've heard a lot about Med-El's electrodes and how atraumatic they are but i'm not sure if there is a real difference between two companies regarding electrode quality. I'd be happy if someone can prove me wrong. At Med-El, the magnet inside the implant can also rotate. I'm not sure why but i'm guessing it's a plus. I've been told the implant should be renewed at every 15-20 years. Is that the case for Med-El? Thank you again for your response. I wish you the best for you and your husband. PS: Since i'm a newbie, i started the same topic three times (Don't know how i did it) maybe anyone knows a way to link or merge them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted June 4, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 The Med-El magnet in the Synchrony rotates which is what allows Synchrony users to have the stronger MRI tests. It is polarized right half/left half instead of top/bottom. My doctors tell me that my internal components are for life. Unless there is a problem, they stay in place and are not switched out. That is why it is most important to research the internal implant. Not just the electrode arrays. We want the internal implant to have the potential to benefit from future tech developments in our processor signaling. To be honest, I did not consider this when I was deciding but it is something that I have come to appreciate since being implanted. I met several CI users from another brand and they can not update their outer processors to take advantage of their brand's newest tech because their brand's newest tech does not work with their internal implant. That is unfortunate. I have friends with Med-El internal implants that are 15+ years old and these friends are using Med-El's newest processor (Sonnet). In the future I will be so happy that Med-El makes new processors backward compatible. I know I will always want the newest tech. Smile. Sometimes this forum has glitches with posts that do not seem to post but actually do and then we end up with multiple posts. It has happened to many of us. No worries, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted June 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Hi Mary Beth, Thanks for the info about the magnet. You are absolutely right about the compatibility of the implant with the new technologies because we all know how fast things change. We have a meeting with Med-El representatives tomorrow and we should make a decision in a few days. I'll let you guys know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Mary Beth Posted June 4, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Kara of Canada Posted June 7, 2017 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted June 7, 2017 Best of luck!! The decision is truly yours to make as to what best suits you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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