The ENT lays out the next steps

The same day I got Peter's hearing aids fitted we had a meeting with his ENT to talk about the next things that would happen in order to make sure he was ready for a CI by 12 months. First, some genetic tests around six months. If they find a Connexin mutation, then they can be pretty sure that there is not auditory nerve involvement, and that there aren't other things we have to worry about...like eventual blindness (Usher's Syndrome is another genetic cause of deafness, and comes with orher complications.) They may not be able to determine the cause of his deafness, but if they do find a genetic reason it could mean our daughters are carriers also. Next, at about nine or ten months they will do a CAT scan, plus maybe an MRI. They have to lightly sedate kids for these, and they do them together so they don't have to sedate them twice. I understand that the CAT scan is required so they have a better idea of what they will find in the cochlea during surgery. The MRI is not as neccessary, but since they can't have one after they get an implant it can give them a clean bill of health. Finally around eleven months we would order the CI(s) and schedule the surgery. The ENT said more parents in her practice were opting for sequential, but she didn't say she wouldn't do simultaneous. I didn't think to ask her then, but I need to. She also said that a different Kaiser was perhaps more aggressive in their approach and did more kids. So now I need to investigate about who has done more kids, more of the brand we prefer, more simultaneous, more simultaneous kids....how long for one ear, for both, what problems that have dealt with, complication rate... My sweet little guy's ears are wiggling as he nurses. They are so perfect it makes me sad to think about an operation. At the same time, giving him access to ASL from now on and spoken language as early as possible seems like the best gifts I can give him when it comes to language and literacy.