Interview with an ENT Chief Physician Who Has Cochlear Implants
Dr. Veronika Wolter, a renowned expert on cochlear implants (CI), knows exactly what she’s doing—she wears hearing aids herself. Precisely because she knows what it’s like to live with hearing loss, she understands her patients very well.
Dr. Veronika Wolter, chief physician at the Helios Hearing Clinic in Munich, is deaf herself and wears two cochlear implants. In this interview, she shares her advice for those affected and explains how the Helios Hearing Clinic helps people with hearing loss.
Living with Hearing Loss
Dr. Wolter, you are Germany’s first deaf chief physician at an acute care hospital and the world’s only deaf chief ENT physician. Could you briefly describe your career and what it’s like to live with hearing loss?
I lost my hearing as a child due to meningitis. By the age of nine, I was hard of hearing; today, I am completely deaf. However, with the help of my cochlear implants, I can hear practically as well as I did before my hearing loss. At the same time, as a chief physician, I can help people regain their hearing. At the hearing clinic, I have the opportunity to help shape the kind of clinic I’ve been searching for my whole life as a patient. But the journey to get here was very hard. School and medical school with limited hearing were difficult. And having to constantly hide my hearing loss because of the risk of being bullied by others, while at the same time enduring the endless search for a suitable hearing aid—that was really no walk in the park.
People who don’t hear well are often excluded. What was that like for you? What experiences did you have, and how did they shape you?
I experienced exclusion regularly, especially in school. Of course, these aren’t pleasant experiences for a young person who already has to struggle through everyday life because of their limitations. In many areas, the disadvantages I faced due to my hearing impairment actually led me to overcompensate. I wanted to show that I could still do well—that I could still be the best. So, overall, my experiences have made me stronger and have repeatedly spurred me on to keep moving forward on my path.
Do you approach patients differently than other ENT doctors who haven’t personally experienced life with hearing loss?
My experience as someone wholives with hearing loss means that I’m not only able to diagnose and treat hearing loss, but I also understand the impact such a limitation can have on all areas of life. Especially socially and psychosocially. I know exactly what it means for a patient to have only 35 percent hearing remaining—and what activities they can no longer participate in, or can only do with massive limitations. I’m not just talking about correctly interpreting the audiogram. I know how much effort it takes just to participate in even the most mundane conversations. That’s why I don’t have to start from scratch with my patients—I can meet them where they are. They don’t have to explain it to me; I know how they’re feeling.
Don't get discouraged, and don't settle for an unsatisfactory status quo
What advice do you give your patients?
Don’t get discouraged. In medical school, for example, cochlear implants are covered only briefly. As a result, many of my colleagues are hardly familiar with this option and are therefore unable to recommend it to their patients. However, such an implant helps many people regain their hearing. No one should have to settle for an unsatisfactory status quo permanently.
Even total deafness can be treated very effectively
What kinds of problems do people with hearing loss come to the Helios Clinic with, and what can be done?At the Hearing Clinic, we are able to diagnose and treat nearly all forms of hearing loss. The prospects for success depend on the individual patient’s specific situation and diagnosis. My own example shows that even total deafness can be treated very effectively these days. Only when the auditory nerve or the central auditory pathway in the brain is damaged do we reach our limits. Although brainstem implants are available, the results are nowhere near as good as those achieved with cochlear implants. Fortunately, however, research in this area is continuing.
Advances in Hearing Aids
What advancements are being made in cochlear implants (CIs) and other hearing systems?
Eventually, it will be possible to implant all components and control the implant from the outside—completely invisibly—via a smartphone. Another exciting possibility is stimulating the auditory nerves not with electricity, but with light pulses. This would significantly reduce energy consumption and bring the auditory experience even closer to physiological hearing. It also remains to be seen whether a breakthrough in stem cell therapy will be achieved in the coming years. If so, we would have curative treatment options in the future. That would truly be revolutionary.
Education and trustworthy counseling are crucial for leading an active life with hearing loss. Those affected can receive this from a specialized hearing care professional or an ENT doctor. They not only conduct a hearing test but can also answer any questions you may have about cochlear implants and other hearing systems.
Learn more about hearing with a cochlear implant, optimal follow-up care, and appropriate hearing training.
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