Gene Therapy and Robotic Surgery Advance Hearing Restoration at Politzer 2026 Seoul

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Technologies are advancing to restore hearing in patients with hearing loss through gene therapy and improve the precision of cochlear implant surgery using robots. A cochlear implant that allows users to hear sounds while sleeping without wearing a device outside the ear has also emerged. Research achievements showing new possibilities for treating hearing loss were shared in Seoul. The Korean Otological Society has

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ave currently been confirmed in humans for only a portion of them. Some patients may still need hearing aids after treatment, and the long-term effects and safety also require further verification. ◇Robots reduce ear damage, while cochlear implants that allow users to hear during sleep emerge Cochlear implant technology is also advancing. A cochlear implant helps users hear by inserting electrodes into the cochlea to

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stimulate the auditory nerve. Recent efforts have focused on reducing damage to structures inside the ear during surgery and preserving residual hearing. The conference introduced a technology that uses a robot to insert electrodes slowly and at a consistent speed. Gu Ja Won, chair of the conference, said, "The goal is to minimize damage to the structures inside the cochlea by inserting the electrode slowly." Relate

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d research is also under way in Korea, but the technology has not yet been commercialized for general use. A 'fully implantable cochlear implant' that does not require external devices also drew attention. Unlike conventional cochlear implants, this approach places the microphone, sound processor and battery entirely inside the body. Its advantage is that users can hear sounds without an external device while sleepin

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lants are available, the criteria for gene therapy must be very strict," adding, "Sufficient verification is needed to determine how long the treatment effects last and whether there are any side effects." Research on 'auditory brainstem implantation, ABI,' for patients who have difficulty benefiting from cochlear implants was also presented. Auditory brainstem implantation is a surgery that directly stimulates the b

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rainstem of patients whose auditory nerves are absent or damaged, helping them perceive sound. A research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University emphasized the importance of early surgery based on treatment results from 136 children with congenital hearing loss. ◇Older adults unable to use hearing aids despite advances in cutting-edge treatments, expanding the 'right to hear' is necessary There were also calls to im

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prove access to existing treatments alongside advances in cutting-edge technologies. According to research by the Korean Otological Society, the proportion of people with moderate or greater hearing loss reaches 26.3% among those in their 70s and 52.8% among those in their 80s. By contrast, the rate of hearing aid use rose only from about 2.1% in 2012 to about 4.7% in 2022. In response, the society is pursuing a pilo

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t program to expand hearing aid support to older adults with mild or moderate hearing loss who are not registered as having a hearing disability. In the long term, it also plans to pursue the enactment of a provisionally named 'Hearing Health Act' to systematically manage the screening, treatment and rehabilitation of hearing loss. Park Si Nae, president of the Korean Otological Society and a professor of otolaryngol

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