WORCESTER, Mass. - Leanne Lacroix went to bed and woke up with severe ringing in her ear just over a year ago. The challenges it brought to everyday life were scary.
"It's really hard to navigate not having hearing," Lacroix said. "Especially in a work setting, or just in a restaurant setting or just in life in general."
After several trips to the doctor and specialists, she was told pretty plainly she was just losing her hearing.
What You Need To Know
- The iotaSoft Insertion System by iotaMotion gently guides cochlear implants into the inner ear.
- UMass Memorial Medical Center is among the first hospitals in the state to use the thumb-sized robot to help restore hearing.
- UMass Memorial Health says the robot performs at a level of precision the human hand can’t match.
- Leanne Lacroix says she was losing hearing in one ear about a year ago, and the implant has helped get her closer to normal.
"I think I came to that realization fairly quickly that I needed to do something to get my hearing back," said Lacroix.
Lacroix was referred to said Dr. Divya Chari, the director of UMass Memorial Health's Cochlear Implant program.
"She actually developed a form of what's called sudden sensory neural hearing loss," Chari said. "The cause of this is not totally known, we call it idiopathic, because we really aren't sure about the cause. It happens in about one in 5,000 individuals."
Lacroix was identified as a candidate for the Iota Insertion System. A thumb-sized robot gently guides cochlear implants into the inner ear, slowing delivering electrodes which allows the patient to hear.
"Rather than a manual insertion of the electrode, which is subject to variability, speed, and the precision of the implantation, this device allows us to do it in a very slow and controlled way with the use of a machine," Chari said.
The end of the implant is miniscule. It's the size of a pencil tip.
Lacroix had the implant installed in April, where it will remain for the rest of her life. She admits, the first few days with it were frustrating, but things have improved greatly.
"Good," Lacroix said about how her hearing is now. "I'm still navigating the system. I think coming out of the surgery, I didn't know really what to expect."
UMass Memorial Medical Center is only the second hospital in the state with this technology. Lacroix is one of the first to get such new technology. Something which means a lot to her.
"I think it all worked out," Lacroix said. "I'm happy about the choice that I made. And I would recommend it for anybody."
The technology comes at a crucial time. The World Health Organization is predicting by 2050, 1 in 4 people worldwide will experience some form of hearing problems.