Opera singer who hid deafness for 30 years hails ‘life-changing’ surgery
Summary
A 72-year-old opera singer in London received two cochlear implants to restore her hearing after hiding deafness for over 30 years. The surgery greatly improved her ability to hear and follow conversations, and a new nationwide study is testing whether giving two implants to adults is better than one.Key Facts
- Janine Roebuck, 72, had deafness due to a genetic condition called sensorineural hearing loss.
- NHS guidelines currently allow most adults with deafness to get only one cochlear implant.
- Roebuck had one implant through the NHS and paid privately for the second implant at the same time.
- She said having two implants made sounds clearer, fuller, and helped her locate where sounds come from.
- A new trial across 14 hospitals in the UK is testing if two implants help adults better than one.
- The study includes over 250 adults who lost hearing later in life and do not already have implants.
- Experts leading the trial say two implants can improve hearing and quality of life, as seen in children.
- Bilateral implants can reduce feelings of isolation and improve communication and safety.
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