An opera singer who concealed her deafness for more than three decades has described her double cochlear implant surgery as 'life-changing'. This procedure is now being trialled across the NHS to assess its potential benefit for thousands of patients.
From Silence to Sound
Janine Roebuck, 72, from London, underwent surgery to receive bilateral cochlear implants, a method currently under investigation nationwide. The trial aims to determine whether two implants can significantly improve quality of life compared to the standard single implant.
Under current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidelines, most deaf adults are eligible for only one cochlear implant. This decision is based on cost-effectiveness analyses and a perceived lack of evidence supporting the benefits of a second implant.
To address this, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), a government-funded body, is supporting a new study led by Addenbrooke's Hospital and the University of Cambridge. The research will explore the advantages of bilateral implants for adults.
A Generational Curse Broken
Ms Roebuck suffers from sensorineural hearing loss, an inherited condition responsible for approximately 70% of genetic hearing loss cases. The condition has affected multiple generations of her family.
In 2019, she received a cochlear implant for one ear on the NHS, as per guidelines, but chose to privately fund the second implant simultaneously. Despite being a mezzo-soprano who performed at venues like the Royal Opera House, she hid her deteriorating hearing for over 30 years. She has since retired.
She described the surgery as 'the best thing I've ever done in my life', adding: 'Having two implants is light years away from just one. Sound quality is so much better, sounds are fuller, clearer, louder and more natural. It's much easier to tell where sounds are coming from, especially in busy spaces.'
She noted the social challenges of hearing loss: 'If you're out in public, it can be hard to follow who is speaking, making joining in with conversations almost impossible. As a result, you have debilitating concentration fatigue at the end of every day.'
Ms Roebuck emphasised the transformative impact: 'With bilateral implants, I no longer consider myself to be deaf. They have been utterly life-changing and, for me, have broken a generational curse. Struggling to hear can be extremely isolating and many people experience anxiety or depression as a result. The implants are life-changing. They reconnect you to the world and, most importantly, people.'
She also highlighted the safety benefits: 'I also feel safer and more secure having the two implants. I am more aware of and connected to what's happening in the world around me. And, if anything goes wrong with one of the implants, I'm not suddenly plunged into a world of total silence.'
Her father and grandfather also suffered from the same condition, which she described as a 'generational curse'.
The Joy of New Sounds
Ms Roebuck recalled the emotional moment her implants were activated: 'The one that actually made me weep was, I was in the kitchen and I could hear this noise, and it wasn't the tap, it wasn't the cooker, it wasn't the oven, and I'm thinking, oh my god, what is it? And the door into the garden was open, and it was pouring with rain, and it was the sound of rain on the leaves. I didn't even know that was a sound.'
The National Trial
The new trial will involve 14 hospitals and more than 250 adults who became deaf later in life and do not already have an implant. Participants will receive either one or two implants to compare outcomes.
Matthew Smith, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital, and Professor Debi Vickers, a speech and hearing scientist at the University of Cambridge, are leading the study.
Mr Smith said: 'We know from giving bilateral implants to children that it can have a transformative effect on their quality of life and interactions with other people. Through this study, we can offer the same opportunity to adults who have become deaf, and understand the potential added value of bilateral cochlear implants, not just in terms of hearing, but also how they enrich quality of life.'
Prof Vickers added: 'Children routinely receive bilateral cochlear implants. These can provide three-dimensional hearing, enabling them to hear more naturally than unilateral, with improved access to sound and better engagement with society. Adults tell us, and I agree, that they should be given the same hearing opportunities as children. In turn, these will result in reduced social isolation, enriched communication, improved mental health, and better overall quality of life.'
Professor Anthony Gordon, programme director for the NIHR health technology assessment programme, said: 'This study offers real hope to people with severe hearing loss and the chance of a significant improvement in their quality of life.'
Once completed, the trial's findings will be submitted to Nice for review.
Ralph Holme, director of research at the RNID, commented: 'It's wonderful to hear just how life-changing this experience has been for Janine, and the impact it's had on her quality of life. Cochlear implants can be truly transformative for people with hearing loss, helping them reconnect with the world around them, and with friends, family and colleagues. The added benefits bilateral implants could bring are particularly exciting, and this study will play a vital role in building the evidence needed so that many more people can benefit, just as Janine has. Hearing loss and tinnitus affect 18 million people in the UK, and trials like this offer genuine hope for a future in which effective treatments are available to everyone who wants them.'
