Cochlear Implants

Treatment of Children

Cochlear implants for children and adolescents are available at all three Mayo Clinic locations. Training and support is given to children who receive implants and their families. Caregivers strive to create a collaborative relationship to facilitate the child's development.
Many criteria are considered in determining if a child is a candidate for cochlear implantation:

• Significant hearing loss in both ears
• Limited benefit from hearing aids as determined by specialized hearing testing
• No medical or radiological contraindications
• High motivation, clear understanding of what cochlear implants can and cannot do for hearing, and support by parents/guardians and motivation by the child (if old enough)

Treatment Team

Arizona
Children are treated by the cochlear implant team in Arizona. Cochlear implant surgery is performed at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix.

Florida
Mayo Clinic Audiology staff perform cochlear implant surgery for children aged 12 and older. Pediatric specialists at Nemours Children's Clinic in Jacksonville provide the pre-evaluation and postsurgical treatment of children with cochlear implants.

Minnesota
Children are treated by the cochlear implant team, which includes pediatric ENT specialists, audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Surgery is performed at Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital in Rochester.

Appointments

For appointments or more information, call the Central Appointment Office at 507-538-3270 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, or complete an online appointment request form.