Will my child still use a hearing aid in the other ear after implantation on one ear?

Yes, in most cases, your child will continue wearing a hearing aid in the other ear even after getting a Cochlear implant on one side. This combination, an implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other, is called bimodal hearing, and it's a common and well-supported approach in pediatric cochlear implant care.

A cochlear implant provides good hearing and supports language development well when done at the right age, but that doesn't mean the other ear should be left without any input. If your child responds well to a hearing aid in that ear, it should continue, since bimodal hearing gives the brain input from both ears together, which is generally better than relying on just one side alone.

Even when the response to the hearing aid isn't as strong, it's usually still worth continuing. The reason is that it keeps stimulating the residual ganglion cells and nerve fibers in that ear, and this stimulation can prove useful later on, especially if you decide to pursue an implant in the second ear down the line.

Bimodal fitting involves some specific considerations, like balancing loudness and sound quality between the two devices, so your child gets the most benefit from hearing with both ears together. For a more detailed look at how this works and what to expect, see our FAQ on bimodal fitting.