Cochlear Implant for Vietnam Vet Inserted Using iotaSOFT® Robotic-Assisted Insertion System

Ronald Van Rossum, 74, enjoys walking his dog. He can tell when Lager is ready for his walk because he can hear his nails tapping across the hardwood floor toward the door. For a long time, he was unable to hear that and other sounds, including people speaking to him on the phone.

“Hearing in my left ear started going bad two years ago,” says Van Rossum, a Vietnam veteran whose job at a printing company meant working with loud offset printers for years after he left the service. “I wore hearing aids, and they helped for a while until this massive ringing started.”

Van Rossum consulted with Ravi Samy, MD, professor and Chief of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. Dr. Samy suggested a cochlear implant and explained how it would help him hear. "Mr. Van Rossum was a good candidate because he had lost all hearing in his left ear, and hearing aids were not helping him anymore,” he says.

Dr. Samy also believed Van Rossum would do well having the cochlear implant inserted using a new robotic-assisted system called iotaSOFT. Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) is one of the first centers in the country using the thumb-sized system to guide cochlear implant procedures. “After talking with Dr. Samy, I really wanted the procedure,” says Van Rossum, who was the first iotaSOFT patient to be implanted in Pennsylvania. “I wasn’t anxious at all. I couldn’t wait to get it.”

According to Dr. Samy, cochlear implants are no longer just for those with severe hearing loss. The small devices comprise the implant, which is surgically placed underneath the skin, and an audio processor that sits outside, behind the ear. One component of the internal implant is the electrode array, a long skinny part that extends into the cochlea or inner ear. It contains electrodes that stimulate the inner ear like the cochlea do, sending sound signals to the brain.

The implants replace the damaged sensory hair cells inside the cochlea. Damaged or missing sensory hair cells do not regenerate, so this kind of hearing loss will not get better without treatment. While cochlear implants provide an improved quality of sound over that of hearing aids, they present challenges related to insertion, since even the best of surgical hands have a tremor. 

"The goal is to insert the array into the cochlea with as little trauma as possible. The membranes and structures are so delicate they can tear, like wet tissue paper,” says Dr. Samy. He partnered with iotaMotion Inc., developers of the iotaSOFT Insertion System, to bring his patients this alternative. He remains committed to working with iotaMotion on the use of the system and future advancements of the technology. The system slows the process down, reducing the force and smoothing the insertion, so there is less disturbance to these sensitive areas.

"We do the best we can but we’re human,” he says. “This system is truly a game changer for many patients.” 

Van Rossum’s life-changing moments started when his wife picked him up after the cochlear implant was activated by the audiologist. He noticed a sound he didn’t recognize and then realized it was the car’s turn signals. The amazement continued the next day at home. “I was sitting outside and could hear the birds singing. They sounded so loud!”

After a cochlear implant, there is still work to do to produce good results. Van Rossum is now undergoing mapping – fine-tuning the implant for better listening outcomes – with audiologist Alicia Stanley, AuD. He is also working with speech-language pathologist Lindsay Reuter. “Many people think that once you have the device activated, you can understand better right away,” Stanley says. “That would be like running a marathon the day after you get a knee replacement.”

She explains that, with normal hearing, we can naturally filter out background noise and focus on what we are listening to. After an implant, it’s necessary to retrain the brain to do that. “Ronald is a good example of a patient who is willing to put in the work, which can mean hours of aural rehab and listening therapies,” Stanley says. “His family is seeing the results, and we’re seeing the improvement.”

Van Rossum classifies himself as an ideal patient. “I can’t hear everything perfectly but every day it’s getting better,” he says. “I’m so pleased; I have zero complaints.” He acknowledges that his surgeon and the entire team made it a “truly amazing experience.” 

“When I was in recovery, Dr. Samy came into the room, sat on a chair, and just chatted with me about all kinds of things,” Van Rossum says. “He is an incredible surgeon and an incredible human being. I told Dr. Samy he was a gift from God.”