A Pioneer
The UI Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery pioneered cochlear implants, implanting our first adult with a single–channel cochlear device in 1981. In 1983, we were the first center in the United States to implant a multi–channel cochlear implant system. We have led the way in bilateral cochlear implants and developed a device that incorporates residual acoustic hearing with electrical speech processing, opening the way for the expansion of cochlear implants to the severely hearing impaired.
In 1987, we implanted our first child and were the first clinic in the nation to implant a congenitally deaf child.
As of September 2009, 695 adults and 249 children have been implanted at Iowa.
Long History
The UI Department of Otolaryngology has a long history encompassing more than two decade of tinnitus treatment and research.
The Tinnitus Clinic, staffed by experienced interdisciplinary teams of physicians, audiologists, speech pathologists, physical therapists, and Certified Otolaryngology Nurses, provides tinnitus management, counseling, and sound therapy counseling.
Our center received the largest clinical–trial grant to study tinnitus in the history of the National Institutes of Health. UI researchers are comparing different versions of treatments that have been reported to help 80 percent of those with tinnitus. The study examines the effectiveness of approaches that combine low–level background sounds, including music, with a new, extensive counseling protocol.
Recognition
For the 20th time in 20 years, UI Hospitals and Clinics appears on the list of the leading hospitals in the United States. And for nearly the past two decades, the UI Otolaryngology department has been ranked in the top 3 in the country out of more than 12,000 ear, nose and throat hospitals.
Bruce Gantz MD, head of UI Department Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, comments on the department's 2008-09 ranking.
In addition, our department has seven physicians listed on the 2009–10 "Best Doctors in America" database.