A fully implanted cochlear implant has transformed the life of Michael Seufer, an American dad who plays ice hockey. Image: Michael Seufer. MICHAEL SEUFER is one of the first people in the world to hear using a first-of-its-kind fully implanted cochlear implant (FICI). HPA asked him about his extraordinary journey and the decision which transformed his life....
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✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable change — this is an early patient experience story about a device not yet in broad clinical availability; audiologists should monitor developments but cannot yet apply this to practice.
Fully implanted cochlear implants represent a major potential shift in cochlear implant technology, removing the stigma and practical burden of external hardware, which could reshape patient expectations and candidacy conversations.
- 01Michael Seufer is reportedly among the first recipients worldwide of a fully implanted cochlear implant (FICI).
- 02A FICI has no external components — no processor or coil worn on the outside of the head.
- 03The article is a first-person patient experience account, not a clinical or research report.
- 04The device is novel enough that very few recipients exist globally at time of publication.
- 05Wider clinical availability and formal outcomes data are not yet established.
Michael Seufer is among the first recipients worldwide of a fully implanted cochlear implant.
quoteunclearThe fully implanted cochlear implant eliminates all external components.
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