BC Adult Cochlear Implant Program

We accept adult patients (18 years and older) who meet the following criteria. Note: there is no upper age limit on receiving a cochlear implant:

• Patient has moderate (in the low frequencies) to profound hearing loss in both ears.
• Patient has little benefit from well fit hearing aids.
• Patient’s speech perception scores on a sentence recognition test are 50% or less in the ear to be implanted. The score is 60% or less in the non-implanted ear or in both ears.
• Patient is motivated and has realistic expectations of the cochlear implant.
• No medical contraindications.

Note: As of January 2020, the BC Adult Cochlear Implant Program expanded the cochlear implant candidacy criteria to include patients with single-sided deafness (with duration of deafness of no more than 15 years), asymmetrical hearing loss, and bilateral sequential cochlear implantation for those that no longer benefit from amplification on their non-implanted side. These patients will need to be assessed to determine candidacy. Once the completed documents have been received by the program, they will be reviewed by the cochlear implant team to determine if a candidacy assessment is appropriate.

Referrals can be sent to the BC Adult Cochlear Implant Program:

St. Paul’s Hospital
BC Rotary Hearing & Balance Centre
2600 Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6

Phone: 604-806-8540
Fax: 604-806-8435

1. A referral package will be sent to the patient which will include the documents as indicated below. Please note the Unilateral and Sequential Bilateral referral documents are different.
2. The patient will request a referral to the CI Surgeon from their family doctor or through a walk-in clinic. Please be sure to request a copy of the referral letter.
3. The patient will schedule an appointment with their hearing aid provider to complete the hearing aid check form. 
4. Once all documents have been completed, the hearing aid provider will either fax or email all documents to the BC Adult Cochlear Implant Program. We will not accept incomplete referral packages. 

Fax: 604-806-8435 or email: ci@providencehealth.bc.ca. Complete referral packages include the following:

1. CI referral document checklist
2. Copy of referral letter to CI surgeon
3. CI questionnaire
4. CI dizzy questionnaire
5. Hearing aid check form with real ear measurement tracings
6. Current audiogram
7. Historical audiograms

To expedite referrals, otolaryngologists, family physicians, audiologists and hearing instrument practitioners may choose to download the relevant referral documents below and request the patient to follow the above steps. Incomplete referral packages will not be accepted.

Once all documents have been received, each referral will be reviewed on an individual basis at our weekly cochlear implant intake meetings.

• If the documents reviewed indicate that the patient is clearly not a candidate, a letter will be sent advising the patient that they do not yet meet the candidacy criteria.
• If the documents indicate that the patient might be a candidate, a candidacy assessment will be scheduled.
• If the documents suggest that a hearing aid trial or hearing aid adjustment is required prior to completing a candidacy assessment, a letter will be sent to the patient, the referrer and the hearing aid provider notifying them of this.
• Hearing aid trial/adjustment: Once the hearing aid trial or adjustment has been completed, a new hearing aid check form will be required completed and sent in. This information will be reviewed at a second cochlear implant intake meeting where a decision will be made.

Note: Cochlear implant candidates who were originally referred to the program by an audiologist or a hearing instrument practitioner will be required to obtain a referral from their primary care provider to the office of Dr. Brian Westerberg and Dr. Jane Lea to complete the medical/surgical candidacy assessment. CI candidate - referral to surgeon required.