An invisible bionic ear has been implanted in Piacenza: it is the first time in Italy
A latest generation cochlear implant operation was performed, totally invisible and water resistant.
Quick Look
The first completely invisible and water-resistant cochlear implant operation in Italy was performed on a patient with severe deafness at the Piacenza hospital, marking a revolution in the treatment of hearing loss.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Piacenza hospital is the first nationally for the number of cochlear implants and performs 140 operations per year.
It is the first time this has happened in Italy: on Monday 12 October at the Piacenza hospital, a state-of-the-art cochlear implant operation was carried out on a patient with severe and profound deafness: a totally invisible and implantable bionic ear, water resistant, which can remain active 24 hours a day and which does not have to be removed when sleeping, does not need to be recharged externally and therefore does not risk being lost or damaged.
This is an absolute novelty for our country, together with a similar intervention at the Siena hospital carried out on the same day, and with few precedents in the world. The Piacenza hospital is the first nationally for the number of cochlear implants and performs 140 operations every year, 80% of cases on patients coming from outside the region, boasting more than twenty years of experience in the management of complex cases in both pediatric and adult age groups.
The operation which took place on Monday kicks off a revolution in the fight against severe-profound hearing loss, radically improving the living conditions of those who suffer from it, because unlike traditional cochlear implants, the new ones involve the positioning of all the components under the skin thanks to special microphones designed to detect sounds through the skin. The device detects sounds through the skin itself, transforms them into electrical impulses, stimulates the cochlea and, thus, the sound information reaches the brain through the auditory nerve. The battery can be recharged by placing the appropriate charger on top of the system and it is not necessary to turn off the device while charging.
In Piacenza the operation was performed by the team of ENTs directed by Domenico Cuda as part of a pilot experience promoted by Emilia-Romagna together with Tuscany. The Region, in fact, has acquired another nine cochlear implants which will be implanted by the end of 2027, again in Piacenza, at its own expense.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Implantation of another nine devices by the end of 2027 in Piacenza
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What will the patient's recovery time be?
- When will the next nine facilities be available?
