If your hearing loss is severe and of a certain type, your doctor may suggest that you talk to a surgeon who specializes in ear, nose, and throat diseases, called an otolaryngologist, about a cochlear implant.

A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that the surgeon places under the skin and behind the ear. The device picks up sounds, changes them to electrical signals, and sends them past the non-working part of the inner ear and on to the brain.

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine