An 85-year-old martial arts master has regained his hearing after undergoing minimally invasive surgery for an implant in March.
Luo Tzu-lung (羅子龍), who performs as part of a dancing lion troupe at temple ceremonies, lost the hearing in his left ear when he was 45 because of a ruptured eardrum caused by an exploding firecracker.
Luo said his hearing deteriorated further after he turned 60 and he wore hearing aids for many years. A year ago, he lost the hearing in his right, and his daughter urged him to undergo the surgery.
He was only able to communicate in writing, and was unable to drive because of the hearing loss.
The day after the surgery Luo said he could hear again, adding that it was “simply wonderful” to be able to hear again.
Luo said he was so excited that he phoned up all his friends, some of whom did not believe it was him.
Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital Department of Otolaryngology director Wu Hung-pin (吳弘斌) said that aging, noise pollution, hypertension and diabetes can all affect a person’s hearing.
As many as a quarter of elderly people have hearing difficulty, Wu said.
If it is the external or middle ear that is damaged, a hearing aid can ameliorate the problem, Wu said, adding that implants are better if the problem is in the inner ear.
Implant surgery used to require large incisions, but modern techniques mean that incisions are as small as 2.5cm and the surgery takes about one hour, Wu said.
Patients also recover more quickly, which is good for people who have hypertension, heart problems or diabetes, Wu said.
Although the surgery is not covered by the National Health Insurance program and is expensive, Wu said, county and city governments, as well as philanthropic organizations, do provide subsidies that can help reduce the cost.
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