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After the Operation - Risks
A cochlear implant is a sophisticated hearing aid which requires an operation. There are risks are associated with this as follows.
- Infection is possible but antibiotics are given to reduce this.
- Bleeding can occassionally occur with formation of a haematoma (blood clot) under the skin - during the operation every attempt is made to reduce this risk
- Facial Palsy, which causes a weakness of one side of the face, rarely happens as the nerve function is monitored during surgery
- Balance disturbance and tinnitus are problems that some patients already have - any balance problems or tinnitus related to surgery should soon settle
- Device failure is rare, but if it occurs may require re-implantation of a new implant.