Specialized care for cochlear implants
The Children’s Minnesota cochlear implant program provides comprehensive, family-centered care for infants, children, and adolescents with severe to profound hearing loss. Our program is designed to support children and their families from the earliest stages of hearing loss identification through lifelong listening, communication, and learning.
Our services
We offer full-spectrum cochlear implant services, including:
- Diagnostic audiologic testing and candidacy evaluations
- Counseling for families exploring cochlear implantation
- Surgical cochlear implantation by experienced pediatric ENT surgeons
- Device activation (“mapping”) and ongoing programming
- Long-term audiologic follow-up and device management
- Evaluations and care are available from infancy through adolescence, with a strong emphasis on early identification and early access to sound when appropriate.
Why choose the Children’s Minnesota Cochlear Implant program
Focus on listening, language, and development: Cochlear implantation is not a single procedure, but a journey. Our program emphasizes close collaboration between our cochlear implant specialists (ENT and cochlear implant audiologists and your child’s school audiologist) to support listening skills, spoken language development, and communication outcomes over time. Care plans are individualized and evolve as children grow, enter school, and develop new communication goals.
Family-centered and culturally responsive: Families are central partners in care. We prioritize education, shared decision-making, and culturally responsive counseling so families can make informed choices that align with their values and goals. Interpreter services and multidisciplinary coordination help ensure access and continuity of care.
Collaboration with community and schools: We work closely with primary care clinicians, early intervention programs, schools, and community audiologists to ensure seamless care across settings. Our team supports transitions from early intervention to school-based services and helps families navigate the educational implications of hearing loss.
Cutting-edge access and innovation: Our team of 5 cochlear implant ENT surgeons and cochlear implant audiologists across the Twin Cities metro area offer the newest, cutting edge technology across all three device manufacturers (Cochlear Americas, Med El, Advanced Bionics). Not only does our program provide regional leadership in cochlear implantation, but our team members are thought leaders nationally in hearing loss research, access to care, and patient-advocacy. Children’s Minnesota performed the youngest published cochlear implantation at the time and continues to be a leader in providing cutting-edge surgical care.
Referrals and acccess
Referrals are welcome from primary care providers, audiologists, early intervention specialists, and schools. Our team assists with coordination of evaluations, imaging, vaccinations when indicated, and insurance authorization to streamline the process for families and referring clinicians.
