For children with cochlear implants, an upgrade usually means another surgery. But advanced technology could offer a nonsurgical way to update the device.
Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego recently became the first to place a next-generation “smart” cochlear implant system in a pediatric patient. The device can be updated, saves important settings and manages power more efficiently. This helps it adapt over time and deliver more consistent sound as the child grows.
The surgery was performed by Daniela Carvalho, MD, director of the Hearing Program and medical director of surgical services at Rady Children’s, and a clinical professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
“Performing the first implantation of this next generation smart cochlear technology in a pediatric patient highlights how our program continues to advance care at the intersection of innovation, timing and neurodevelopment,” she says.
Dr. Carvalho and her multidisciplinary team have led innovations in pediatric hearing restoration for more than two decades. Since joining Rady Children’s in 2003, Dr. Carvalho has:
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Established one of the region’s most comprehensive pediatric cochlear implant programs, helping more than 1,000 children
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Performed San Diego’s first pediatric bone-anchored hearing aid surgery, expanding treatment options for conductive and mixed hearing loss
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Introduced endoscopic transcanal ear surgery, improving recovery for children with complex middle-ear conditions
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Pioneered the use of remote monitoring of the hearing nerve during surgery to help improve cochlear implant outcomes
MULTIDISCIPLINARY COORDINATION IN PEDIATRIC OTOLOGY
Under Dr. Carvalho’s leadership, the Rady Children’s Cochlear Implant Program focuses on early detection, timely intervention and team-based approach postoperative recovery and rehabilitation. This model brings together specialists in otolaryngology, audiology, speech-language pathology, developmental psychology, educational consultation, genetics and social work, ensuring that each child receives an individualized plan addressing both medical and developmental needs.
The program follows research-based protocols that show implantation before a child turns 1 significantly improves speech, vocabulary growth and neurocognitive development.
“The earlier we can restore access to sound, the more effectively we can engage the brain’s critical window for auditory and language development,” says Dr. Carvalho.