Doctors at the Bradford Royal Infirmary performed the surgery on her on November 25. She underwent the implant at 17 weeks pregnant after consultations determined that this was the safest time to carry out the operation.
‘Doctors perform the world’ first cochlear transplant on a pregnant woman to make her hear the baby’s heartbeat and first cry just like all other women in the world.’
Professor Chris Raine said: "Being the first, we had to gain advice with pharmacists and other consultants to ensure the drugs we were using posed no risk to the baby or its development. We also had to monitor the baby's development to determine the best time to carry out the surgery under local anesthetic. I like to feel that we are helping Miss Ward fulfill her desire to be able to have the special moment of hearing her child for the first time. If we were not able to safely put in the implant, then it would have been months after she gave birth before she would have been able to have surgery."
Ward is not deaf by birth and has started to lose her hearing capacity only in her teens. Many doctors could not find a reason for her hearing loss.
Ward said, "We have never been given a reason or explanation as to why I lost my hearing. It took a while for my parents and doctors to refer me for audiology tests, as they believed I was lying and it was selective hearing."
After undergoing the cochlear implant, doctors have given a special treat for her. She was allowed to hear the heartbeat of her unborn child, one of the major reasons why she asked surgeons to make history by allowing them to carry out the first cochlear implant surgery on a pregnant woman.
"Having the implant switched on was an overwhelming experience. I know that no matter how much I read in advance or asked others for their experience nothing could truly prepare you for the emotions you'd feel when I heard sound it was even more special that one of the first things was to hear my child's heartbeat," she said.
Source: Medindia
