On Sunday 3rd March, we celebrated World Hearing Day. Audiology at Alder Hey provides diagnosis, management and rehabilitation of hearing and balance disorders for children and young people. It is also a regional implantable acoustic devices service for bone conduction and middle ear implants in partnership with ENT.
One of these young people is 13 year old Niamh. Niamh from Northwich was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. A cleft lip or palate happens when the structures that form the upper lip or palate don’t join together when a baby is developing in the womb. Niamh has been a patient at Alder Hey since she was just three months old and has had several operations over the years for her condition.
Children born with a cleft palate often face issues with their middle ear leading to associated hearing difficulties. The muscles of the palate play a crucial role in regulating airflow into the middle ear and draining fluids from it. When this process is disrupted, fluid accumulation (known as otitis media with effusion) occurs, resulting in temporary hearing impairment. Moreover, the presence of fluid in the middle ear makes the child prone to recurrent middle ear infections, potentially resulting in permanent hearing loss if left untreated. Many children with a cleft palate need tubes, inserting into their ear drums, known as grommets, to facilitate fluid drainage from the middle ear. Typically, these grommets remain in place for 6-9 months before naturally falling out.
Over the years, Niamh has seen the audiology team at Alder Hey many times and has had numerous grommets and middle ear infections which has led to moderate hearing loss. Niamh wore bilateral bone conduction hearing devices on a softband to help with her hearing.
Niamh recently had an operation to insert an active middle ear implant into her ear. This is the first time this operation has been done at Alder Hey and one of the few times a paediatric middle ear implant has been done in the North of England.You can see her reaction to the device being switched on below.
Niamh’s Consultant, ENT Surgeon Mr Sharma explains: “The 3 hour operation involved inserting the implant into the middle ear and attaching it to one of the bones in the middle ear (ossicles). The implant is known as a Vibrant Soundbridge and has an external processor that picks up sound waves and then sends them to the Vibrant Soundbridge implant. The implant turns the sound waves into mechanical vibrations which are amplified and get sent to the inner ear and then to the brain, just like in the normal hearing process. This type of device is implanted completely under the skin.”
Chief Audiologist Angela Pritchard said “Myself and Chief Audiologist Auboney Dineen who have seen Niamh for many years turned on Niamh’s device today, 6 weeks after the operation and we’re delighted by her reaction. We really hope this will improve her quality of life and help her to do all the things she loves.”
It feels amazing to be able to hear by myself. Everything is so clear. I can wear my hair down for the first time now, as I had to wear it up for the external hearing aids to work. I want to say a big thank you to the ENT team who I’ve grown up with, they’ve been amazing.”
Niamh
Niamh is an avid fundraiser, raising money for Alder Hey and the teams who have looked after her and also an aspiring baker and hopes to open her own bakery in the future. Good luck Niamh, you’ll be amazing at whatever you do.