MED-EL · Cochlear Implants
SYNCHRONY 2
MED-EL's latest cochlear implant, designed for the closest to natural hearing, simple surgery and MRI scans…
View detailsProducts · MED-EL
MED-EL hearing implants
As an authorised MED-EL distributor, we supply MED-EL cochlear implant systems, audio processors, bone conduction and middle ear solutions, and support users with follow-up care and genuine accessories.
How a cochlear implant works
A hearing aid makes sound louder. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged hair cells of the inner ear and sends sound to the hearing nerve as electrical signals. It has two parts: an audio processor worn on the head and an implant placed under the skin.
Step 1
Audio processor
Its microphones pick up sound, turn it into a digital signal and send it through the skin to the implant.
Step 2
Implant
The implant converts the signal into electrical pulses and sends them along a fine electrode array inside the cochlea.
Step 3
Electrode array
Each contact stimulates the part of the cochlea responsible for a particular pitch, much as healthy hair cells would.
Step 4
Hearing nerve
The hearing nerve carries the signals to the brain, which recognises them as sound.
Who can benefit
Cochlear implants are designed for children and adults with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, in both ears or in one. You may be a candidate if:
- Hearing aids no longer help you understand speech
- Phone calls have become difficult
- You rely heavily on lip-reading
- You have lost all or most hearing in one ear
- Your child did not pass newborn hearing screening and hearing aids are not enough
Good to know
- Children can be implanted from a young age, and early implantation gives the best chance for language development
- There is no upper age limit
- Asymmetric hearing loss, profound in one ear and milder in the other, can also be treated
- An ENT surgeon and audiologist confirm suitability after a full assessment
Why MED-EL
MED-EL’s founders pioneered the modern cochlear implant in 1977, and MED-EL offers a complete portfolio of hearing implants. These are the principles behind its systems.
Closest to natural hearing
Long, flexible electrodes are designed to cover the whole cochlea, stimulating low and high pitches in the right place. Many users say music sounds natural.
Built for your cochlea
The surgeon chooses from a range of electrode arrays to fit each inner ear, and the fitting can be tailored to your anatomy.
MRI without surgery
SYNCHRONY 2 is MR Conditional at up to 3.0 Tesla with the magnet in place, and MED-EL offers a lifelong MRI guarantee on its cochlear implants.
Reliable by design
Every implant is made in Austria. According to MED-EL’s reliability data, SYNCHRONY 2 has a cumulative survival rate of 99.88% within 6 years.
Ready for the future
Upgradeable firmware, and new processors that work with MED-EL implants from the last 20 years and more, so upgrades need no further surgery.
A complete range
Cochlear, middle ear and bone conduction solutions from one company, so there is an option for most types of hearing loss.
Your hearing implant journey
From the first appointment to everyday hearing, our team works alongside your ENT surgeon at every stage.
Step 1
Assessment
Hearing tests and a medical review confirm whether an implant is right for you, and you get time to ask every question.
Step 2
Surgery
A routine operation of about 1 to 2 hours. Most people are up the next day and home after a short hospital stay.
Step 3
Activation
About 2 to 4 weeks after surgery, the processor is switched on and fitted. Fine-tuning continues at follow-up visits.
Step 4
Rehabilitation
Listening practice with a speech therapist and at home helps the brain make sense of the new sound. It is the most important step.
Which solution for which hearing loss?
A quick guide to the MED-EL options for each type of hearing loss. The right choice always depends on a full assessment.
| Type of hearing loss | MED-EL solutions |
|---|---|
| Severe-to-profound sensorineural | Cochlear implant (SYNCHRONY 2) |
| High-frequency loss with useful low-frequency hearing | Electric Acoustic Stimulation (EAS) |
| Mild-to-severe sensorineural | Middle ear implant (VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE) |
| Conductive | VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE, BONEBRIDGE, ADHEAR |
| Mixed | VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE, BONEBRIDGE |
| Single-sided deafness | Cochlear implant, BONEBRIDGE, ADHEAR |
| Neural (hearing nerve missing or damaged) | Auditory brainstem implant: please contact us to discuss |
Cochlear implants
Implant systems for severe-to-profound hearing loss, including the new totally invisible TICI UNICO and Electric Acoustic Stimulation.
Audio processors
The external part of an implant system, worn on the head or behind the ear. Every current processor works with MED-EL implants from the last 20 years and more.
SONNET 3 or RONDO 3?
| SONNET 3 | RONDO 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is worn | Behind the ear | Off the ear, single unit |
| Power | Rechargeable (up to 23 h) or zinc-air batteries (up to 60 h) | Built-in battery, wireless charging, up to 24 h |
| Water | IP68 waterproof | IP68 waterproof |
| Streaming | Integrated direct streaming | Through the AudioStream Adapter |
| Connectivity device | AudioLink XT | AudioLink |
| Good to know | Child-friendly locks and link-check light; EAS version available | Nothing behind the ear, ideal with glasses |
Bone conduction
Solutions that send sound through the bone to the inner ear, with or without surgery.
Middle ear implants
An implant that moves the structures of the middle ear directly, with nothing in the ear canal.
Frequently asked questions
A hearing aid makes sound louder. A cochlear implant works differently: it bypasses the damaged part of the inner ear and stimulates the hearing nerve directly with electrical signals. That is why it can help when hearing loss is too severe for hearing aids to give clear speech.
Children and adults with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, in one or both ears, who get limited benefit from hearing aids. Common signs are that hearing aids no longer help, phone calls are hard, or you rely heavily on lip-reading. A full medical and hearing assessment confirms whether an implant is right for you.
Children can be implanted from a young age, from around 6 months depending on the implant and the medical team, and children implanted early have the best chance of developing language like their hearing peers. There is no upper age limit: general health and willingness to take part in rehabilitation matter more than age.
Cochlear implant surgery is a routine procedure that usually takes 1 to 2 hours. Most people are up and about the next day and go home after a short hospital stay. Recovery generally takes 1 to 2 weeks, avoiding heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for a few weeks.
The audio processor is switched on at the first fitting, usually 2 to 4 weeks after surgery. Hearing then keeps improving over the following months with regular fittings and rehabilitation.
Yes, under certain conditions. The SYNCHRONY 2 implant is MR Conditional at up to 3.0 Tesla without removing the magnet, unless removal is needed for diagnostic reasons, and MED-EL covers its cochlear implants with a lifelong MRI guarantee. Always tell the radiology team that you have an implant.
Yes. SONNET 3 and RONDO 3 are waterproof (IP68) for fresh water, and the WaterWear cover makes them fully waterproof in salt and chlorinated water. Wear a helmet wherever one is normally worn, and protect the implant site from direct knocks.
No. MED-EL designs its new audio processors to work with MED-EL implants from the last 20 years and more, so upgrading only means a new processor and a fitting.
Many MED-EL users say they enjoy music and find it sounds natural, and some are professional musicians. MED-EL uses long electrodes that cover the whole cochlea and sound coding designed to bring out fine detail in music.
Yes. A cochlear implant in the deaf ear can restore hearing with both ears, which helps with understanding speech in noise, following group conversations and telling where sounds come from.
Processor checks, genuine parts, upgrades and listening therapy.
Hearing in one ear, or a hearing aid on the other side?
Learn how implants can help single-sided deafness, and how a cochlear implant and a hearing aid can work together in bimodal hearing.
Considering a hearing implant?
Talk to us about your options. We work alongside your ENT surgeon from assessment to follow-up.