How long does a cochlear implant surgery last?

Cochlear implant surgery typically takes about 60 to 120 minutes to complete, though the exact duration can vary depending on the anatomy of the patient's inner ear and their overall medical condition. It's performed under general anesthesia, so the patient is asleep throughout and won't feel anything during the procedure.

Once the surgery is done, the patient is moved to the post-operative recovery room, where the medical team keeps a close eye on them as the anesthesia wears off and initial recovery begins. After this observation period, the patient is shifted back to their room to continue recovering.

Admission is generally overnight rather than same-day, since the hospital team prefers to monitor the patient for a bit before discharge. Most patients are sent home after a day or two, though the exact length of stay depends on how smoothly the surgery went and how the patient is recovering.

So while the surgery itself is relatively quick, at just an hour or two, the overall hospital experience includes this short admission period afterward, mainly as a precaution to make sure everything is progressing normally before the patient heads home to continue healing.