Cochlear Implant Program | Boston Medical Center

If a person has severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant may help. A cochlear implant is different from a hearing aid. A hearing aid makes sounds louder and helps someone who has some hearing loss; a cochlear implant can help a person with very little or no hearing (partial or complete deafness) be able to hear.

A cochlear implant is small electronic device that stimulates the nerve a person hears with, called the cochlear nerve. The implant has two parts. One part sits behind the ear and picks up sound. It transmits that sound to the second part of the implant, which is located in the inner ear. A thin wire between the two sends signals to the auditory nerve, which tells the brain it is hearing.

Boston Medical Center’s Cochlear Implant Program is committed to providing high-quality, team-centered, patient-focused hearing care for adults and children with hearing loss. The team is made up of providers who specialize in audiology, neurotology, and speech language pathology. Peter Weber, MD, leads the Cochlear Implant Team. Dr. Weber has performed over 2,000 implant surgeries in more than 20 years and also spends time traveling the world teaching others how to perform cochlear implant surgery.

The team works closely with patients and families to guide them toward the best course of treatment based on their individual goals. In successful cases, children and adults gradually learn to hear well enough to use the telephone, and most children hear well enough to learn spoken language and attend school.

For more information about BMC’s Cochlear Implant Program, please call 617.638.8124.

Cochlear Implants Now Offered at BMC!

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830 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118
1st Floor
Moakley Building

617.638.8124

Monday-Friday - 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Specialty Clinics

Audiology (Hearing Problems)

Audiologists at Boston Medical Center provide services ranging from hearing tests to testing for causes of balance problems, all in our state-of-the-art clinic.

Otolaryngology — Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery

Whether you need a diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, or surgery for problems involving the ears, sinuses, oral cavity, throat, or neck, the Otolaryngology team is here to provide exceptional care.

Pediatrics - Otolaryngology (ENT)

The Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology provides care for patients with problems involving the ears, sinuses, oral cavity, airway, nose, throat, and neck.

Treatments & Services

Our Team

Peter C. Weber, MD

Otolaryngologist

Mark A. Vecchiotti, MD

Pediatric Otolaryngologist

Alison Packer, AuD, CCC-A

Director of Audiology

Kerry McGovern, AuD, CCC-A

Audiologist

Catherine Nash, AuD, CCC-A

Senior Audiologist

Patient Resources

Frequently Asked Questions about Cochlear Implants

A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that stimulates the cochlear nerve (nerve for hearing). It has two parts. One part sits behind the ear. It picks up sounds with a microphone, processes the sound, and transmits it to the second part of the implant. The second part is implanted in the inner ear during a surgery. A thin wire and small electrodes leads to the cochlea, which is part of the inner ear. The wire sends signals to the auditory nerve, the nerve that sends sound impulses to the brain. A cochlear implant helps give a person a sense of sounds. It doesn't restore hearing to normal, but it can help a person understand speech and noises in the environment.