Surgeons at Epworth Richmond have changed the lives of 22 Victorians with cochlear implant operations.
The first cochlear implant at Epworth Richmond was performed by Dr Guillermo Hurtado in June 2022.
Dr Fiona Hill undertook the second operation. The third implant was performed by Dr Tim McLean. 22 implant surgeries have now been completed.
Patients ranged in age from 44 to 88 years of age.
Dr Hill said the surgery can be a stressful time for patients and this can be even more challenging if you are hearing impaired.
"Patients undergoing cochlear implants have extra communication concerns when attending hospital. A special amount of conscious effort has been made to address the challenges these patients face," Dr Hill said.
Dr McLean said enhanced training of staff at Epworth Richmond directly benefits surgery in theatre and the delivery of post operative care to the patients.
"Our theatre nurses and technicians, ward nurses and allied health staff have done a huge amount of work to learn about cochlear implants and how they can support our patients before and after the implant surgery," Dr McLean said.
Dr Hill added "Staff did this training with great enthusiasm and dedication."
Epworth Richmond is one of only two private hospitals in Victoria to regularly perform cochlear implant surgery.
