First Cochlear Implant Procedure in North Alabama Performed at Crestwood Medical Center
12/9/2025
For many people with severe hearing loss, even the most advanced hearing aids can only go so far. When conversations become exhausting, background noise drowns out every word, and when social situations feel overwhelming, it may be time for something more powerful.
Dr. Sabina Dang, an ENT specialist with Huntsville Ear, Nose & Throat Physicians, P.C. and an independent member of our medical staff, has performed the first cochlear implant procedure in North Alabama right here at Crestwood.
“A cochlear implant is a powerful device,” Dr. Dang explained. “Unlike hearing aids, which amplify sound, a cochlear implant directly stimulates the nerve of hearing using electrical signals. This provides a level of clarity that hearing aids just can’t provide.”
Candidates are typically people who have used hearing aids but still struggle to understand speech. After evaluation, they may find that a cochlear implant can help restore the clarity they’re missing.
The procedure is a short outpatient surgery, so patients go home the same day. After a few weeks of healing, the device is activated and patients begin working with an audiologist to fine-tune the implant.
Milestone for North Alabama
Until now, patients needing cochlear implants often traveled to Nashville or Birmingham for surgery and follow-up visits. According to Dr. Dang, this barrier often prevented patients from receiving a cochlear implant.
“Some of these patients are 80 or 90 years old,” said Dr. Dang. “A long day of travel, surgery, recovery, and multiple follow-up visits can be too much. Having this procedure available locally removes a major obstacle.”
Life-Changing Outcomes
When a cochlear implant is activated for the first time, the results are often emotional.
“It’s life changing,” Dr. Dang shared. “Patients go from hearing almost nothing to suddenly being able to hear ambient sounds again, the hum of the AC, footsteps, doors closing. Their world opens back up.”
Bringing Advanced Care Back Home
For Dr. Dang, offering cochlear implants in Huntsville carries personal meaning.
“I’m from Huntsville,” she said. “To bring this procedure back to my hometown and offer it to people who may otherwise never have access, it’s something I’m very proud of.”
Now, with cochlear implant services available at Crestwood, patients needing this technology can receive care close to home.
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