THE HELENE AND GRANT WILSON PEDIATRIC AND ADULT AUDITORY BRAINSTEM IMPLANT PROGRAM

The Helene and Grant Wilson Auditory Brainstem Implant Program at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is a multidisciplinary team of Scientists, Audiologists, and Neurotologic surgeons. Collaborating Neurologists, and adult and pediatric skull base neurosurgeons are based at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Mass General Hospital for Children.

We care for infants, children and adults who are deaf and are not candidates for the cochlear implant but who may benefit from the auditory brainstem implant (ABI).

Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 2, cochlear aplasia, cochlear or auditory nerve aplasia or hypoplasia, scarring of the cochlea due to meningitis or otosclerosis, or auditory nerve and/or cochlear injury from temporal bone / skull base fractures are all possible candidates for the ABI.

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Email:  abi@meei.harvard.edu

Website:  www.harvardABI.org

Phone:  (617) 573-3130

DEPARTMENT OF OTOLOGY AND LARYNGOLOGY

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY

243 Charles Street, Boston MA 02114-3096

We appreciate your interest in the Wilson Auditory Brainstem Implant Program at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Our program was founded by a generous donation from Helene and Grant Wilson and we care for infants, children and adults who may be candidates or who are users of the ABI.

The Harvard ABI team is comprised of pediatric and adult skull base surgeons, audiologists, neurologists, and scientists from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Hospital for Children.

We provide audiologic, medical, and surgical support (including hearing aids, cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants) for patients who have Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2).

Many of our patients are seen both in the NF Clinic at MGH as well as in the Departments of Otolaryngology and Audiology at MEEI.

We also care for infants, children and adults who do NOT have NF2 but have deafness from conditions that do not allow for successful cochlear implant surgery. Conditions include severe congenital malformation of the inner ear (no hearing nerve or no cochlea), scarring of both inner ears due to infection / meningitis, otosclerosis, or injury, injury to the hearing nerve or inner ear from a severe skull fracture or auditory neuropathy / dyssynchrony (AN/AD). We have FDA approval to determine the effectiveness of the ABI in patients who do not have NF2 but have deafness from the conditions listed above.

If you have any further questions regarding our services, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Daniel J. Lee MD FACS

Director, Pediatric Ear, Hearing and Balance Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Director, Wilson Auditory Brainstem Implant Program

Above: The three sets of images demonstrate the auditory brainstem implant system that is currently approved for use in the U.S. by the FDA. It resembles the cochlear implant except that the electrode is a flat paddle that is placed on the cochlear nucleus of the auditory brainstem to provide hearing sensations to the pediatric and adult ABI recipient. Candidates for the ABI are deaf and cannot receive the cochlear implant due to injury or absent auditory nerve or cochlea.