Hello,
Is
hearing loss only in one ear or in both?
If it is only in one ear, you may avoid implant or surgeries if you don't want because implant will give you a machine to be worn all your lifetime. You may have gone through but still to remind is
cochlear implant is nothing but implantable
hearing aid with an internal component implanted in ears with surgery and an external part which is to be kept outside. It is at present Gold Standard treatment for some candidates with SNHL.
My personal advice if it is only for a single ear. You can avoid or postpone surgery. Take good care and hearing hygiene for rest of life. He may feel directional problem for some time but he may get habituated and probably go unnoticed as he is a young child and may not notice this phenomenon and grow well as a normal adult. It is like a vision with one eye only. You may take a chance with
HBOT and some other medicines.
If it is for both the ear, then definitely Cochlear Implant is the answer. But there are options of BAHA if he is a candidate for the same. And if not at all you are willing for surgery the boy can be given Hearing
aids of strong class from a good manufacturer if he is comfortable with the aids.
Please take note that any surgery involves tremendous amount of money and dependency for lifetime and maintenance. This is not to scare you but just to inform you. Be informed and take an informed decision.
Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Himanshu Dhanak, Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist