FREE WORLDWIDE CASE EVALUATION BY CALLING 1-800-632-1404

Up to 1,000 persons could experience device failures based on the latest Advanced Bionics recall. This recall is now the third recall of the cochlear implant manufacturer since 2004. The first was in 2004, the second 2006. Now, in 2010, Advanced Bionics (and parent Sonova) have recalled again.

Advanced Bionics continues to have problems with the manufacturer of its devices. As attorneys who have been fighting for the rights of patients since 2007, our firm stands ready to seek justice for you. Please call us today at 1-800-632-1404 for help.

Here is the text of a letter sent to patients:

Dear Cochlear Implant Recipient or Parent,

Our mission at Advanced Bionics is to improve the lives of the hearing
impaired, and the safety and well-being of our recipients is our first priority. Because we
are committed to ensuring that our products are as safe as possible, we are voluntarily
informing you that we have become aware of an issue with the HiRes 90K cochlear implant. The issue can result in pain, overly loud sounds, and/or sudden shock sensation in the implanted ear while the implant is receiving power. Thus far, our investigation shows that of the more than 28,000 implanted HiRes 90K devices, only two explanted devices have been confirmed to have this issue. There are 9 other patients with similar
symptoms which our investigations have not yet ruled out as related to this issue. For the
two confirmed cases, there were no symptoms upon initial activation of device. However,
the patients experienced symptoms after 8-10 days of use. Both recipients were
re-implanted with HiRes 90K devices and their clinicians report that they are progressing
well. We are conducting an extensive investigation of this issue using an
independent scientific research organization. Their current analysis suggests that, if
present, the issue will first occur within 90 days of device use. However, the onset of
symptoms may be delayed after initial activation, and they may continue to occur
intermittently. In the unlikely event that this symptom occurs, continued device use may lead to damage to the inner ear and/or the auditory nerve. If you or your child experience
pain related to implant use, remove the external equipment immediately and contact your
cochlear implant clinician to schedule an appointment. If the evaluation of your
device identifies this problem, device replacement is advised. It is important to note that it is not unusual for cochlear implant recipients to experience overly loud sounds. Most of these cases can be resolved with standard troubleshooting, such as the replacement of external equipment. The vast majority of these cases are not signs of the issue described above and do not require explant of the device. We will notify you again as more information from our investigation becomes available. We sincerely regret any concern this notification may cause. Advanced Bionics assures you that we will correct this issue and continue to improve our product reliability.