CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (AP) _ After years with hearing loss, a suburban St. Louis woman has received a new type of cochlear implant that may restore her ability to hear high-frequency sounds.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1Asafxk ) reports that earlier this month, 40-year-old Stephanie Gurley-Thomas became the first person in the St. Louis region to receive the new type of implant created for adults who have lost the ability to hear high-frequency sounds, but who can still pick up low-frequency sounds.
Sounds such as doorbells, birds, even the voice of her 3-year-old, have been difficult for Gurley-Thomas to pick up. The Cochlear Nucleus Hybrid L24 Cochler Implant System was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in March. It combines the functions of a cochlear implant with a hearing aid.