Thanks to a cochlear implant (CI)—a surgically imbedded bionic ear, many seniors with significant hearing loss, some even deaf, have been able to regain their hearing after an operation which seems no less than a miracle. Unfortunately, only 5-7% of those who could benefit from the surgery opt to get the surgery. A scant 739K of them have been implanted worldwide. That’s sad because loss of hearing can lead to other health issues such as cognitive decline. The decisive factor in whether or not you will benefit from CI is that you have a healthy auditory nerve. “Hearing is a major mode of communication,†J. Thomas Roland Jr., a surgeon and chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at NYU, told AARP Bulletin. “If you give that back to someone, the brain is rocking again. It is doing what it is supposed to do,†he said.