Middle Ear Implants

Middle ear implants (MEIs) are designed to help individuals with mixed or conductive hearing losses, or in cases where hearing aids or bone conduction devices are not the best option due to medical reasons.

A MEI is implanted to the middle ear and mechanically vibrates the middle ear bones to acoustically stimulate the inner ear (cochlea).

A middle ear implant typically consists of two main parts:

The external part is called a processor and picks up sound from the external environment and transmits it through the skin to the implanted receiver. It is held in place with a magnet.
The internal part is implanted surgically and consists of a receiver package, magnet and coupler mechanism to vibrate the tiny bones of the middle ear.

How is a Middle Ear Implant Different from a Hearing Aid?

A hearing aid makes sounds louder to effectively stimulate the hair cells in ears that may be damaged. This process requires sound to travel through all the portions of the ear (outer ear, middle ear, inner ear) to the hearing nerve.

A middle ear implant works by converting sound into mechanical vibrations that directly stimulate the middle ear structures, such as the ossicles or the oval window. This process bypasses the damaged portion of the outer or middle ear, making it more suitable for conductive or mixed hearing losses.

What Can I Expect With A Middle Ear Implant?

Surgically, a MEI is typically completed as a day case. If all goes well, you will be home by the evening. Your dedicated ENT consultant and health professional team will provide you with information regarding wound healing and care.

Once healed, typically 2 weeks post-op, you will visit us at Harley Street Hearing to have the device fitted and programmed. Recipients typically experience a significant improvement in hearing abilities and speech understanding after receiving their implant. Many people report the sound quality of a middle ear implant to be very natural, as they can replicate the way the ear naturally amplifies and transmits sound.

Meet our hearing implant team

Our expert team of clinical audiologists and leading ENT consultants are highly experienced in middle ear implants and working with patients to improve their hearing.

Romy Cohen

Clinical Lead

Lerissa Pillay

Senior Clinical Audiologist

Mr. Harry Powell

MB BS BSc DOHNS FRCS (ORL-HNS)

Mr. Harry Powell is a leading Consultant ENT surgeon with a wealth of experience in treating both children and adults. He completed his medical education at the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St Thomas’ in London, followed by foundational surgical training in Bristol. His specialist ENT training took place at several prestigious London teaching hospitals.

Mr. Powell was awarded the Graham Fraser Memorial Fellowship and two Royal College of Surgeons grants for advanced surgical training in ear surgery and auditory implantation in Sydney, Australia. There he learned endoscopic ear surgery techniques and has subsequently developed this part of his practice in conjunction with the traditional microscopic techniques.

Since September 2016, Mr. Powell has served as a Consultant Otologist and Auditory Implant Surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. His extensive areas of expertise include general ENT surgery, ear infections, hearing loss, mastoid and middle ear surgery, hearing implants, tinnitus, vertigo, balance issues, microtia and atresia, sinonasal congestion, voice and swallowing disorders, and taste or smell problems.

Mr. Powell has published widely in the scientific literature and has authored three book chapters. His passion for patient care and commitment to innovation make him a leading figure in the field of otology.

Professor Dan Jiang

MBBS PHD FRCSI FRCSI(ORL-HNS)

Professor Dan Jiang is a respected ear surgeon in the UK and Europe, specializing in otology and skull base surgery. He is a Consultant Otologist and Skull Base Surgeon and is one of the UK’s most experienced cochlear implant surgeons. Professor Jiang has been at the forefront of developing techniques for preserving hearing and cochlear structures during cochlear implant procedures.

He has performed cochlear implants on very young patients, including the youngest child in the UK, and has expertise in treating patients with malformed cochleas. He also leads a skilled paediatric Auditory Brainstem Implant team.

Based at St. Thomas Hearing Implant Centre, Professor Jiang has been an active contributor to professional groups, served as a trustee for the British Cochlear Implant Group (BCIG) and on the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) Otology Council, each for six years.

He is currently an executive council member of the European Academy of Otology and Neurotology (EAONO). In addition to his clinical work, he is a Professor of Otology and Hearing Implant Surgery at King’s College London, where he focuses on educating and training future specialists, as well as researching ways to optimize hearing implant outcomes and regenerate damaged cochleas.

Mr. Ananth Vijendren

BM, MRCS, MRCS (ENT), FRCS (ORL-HNS), PhD

Mr. Ananth Vijendren is a highly accomplished Consultant ENT surgeon with a distinguished career in both clinical practice and academic research. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Southampton and completed his foundation training in Basingstoke, where his passion for ENT disorders was ignited.

Following this, he ranked among the top nationally and was recruited into postgraduate surgical and ENT training in the East of England. Mr. Vijendren further specialized through an Otology and Hearing Implant fellowship at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge.

During this fellowship, he honed his skills in complex ear surgeries, hearing reconstruction, and cochlear implantation. His dedication and expertise led him to complete his training six months ahead of schedule, a rare achievement in the field. Since 2019, Mr. Vijendren has been serving at the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, where he leads the hearing and balance service at Lister Hospital.

His clinical practice encompasses a wide range of ENT conditions, with a particular focus on ear-related diseases, balance disorders, and hearing reconstruction. He frequently performs surgeries for tympanic membrane perforations, cholesteatoma, and hearing implantations.

In addition to his clinical work, Mr. Vijendren is deeply involved in research, having completed a PhD that investigates occupational hazards affecting ENT surgeons and their impact on clinical performance. He has published numerous articles in prestigious journals and presented his work internationally, earning accolades for his contributions to the field. His passion for education led him to co-author and develop ENTsho.com, a freely accessible online ENT textbook for health professionals.

Mr. Vijendren is known for his organized, efficient, and compassionate approach to patient care. He strongly advocates for evidence-based medicine, tailoring treatments to meet the unique needs of each patient to ensure the highest quality of care and patient satisfaction.

Why choose Harley Street Hearing?

We are the home of independent audiology in London, dedicated to providing exceptional services and after care to every patient, ensuring the highest standards of care.

We pride ourselves on our high level of expertise, with a team of some of the most highly regarded audiologists in the industry. We put our patients first and always offer a personalised approach that addresses their individual needs.

At Harley Street Hearing, we are proud to offer a variety of implants to suit your hearing needs. Please click on the links to read about cochlear implants or bone anchored hearing aids.