MED-EL to Highlight Data from Landmark Studies Supporting Expanded Pediatric Indications

Hearing implant leader MED-EL USA is announcing two upcoming symposia at CI2026, the annual meeting of the American Cochlear Implant Association (ACIA) in Chicago. The meeting also celebrates the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of an expanded indication for MED-EL cochlear implants for children seven months and older with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

MED-EL’s cochlear implant system is the only FDA-approved option for infants this young, and the FDA action also included expansion of other audiologic and speech indications for children aged 12 months and older. Taken together, MED-EL cochlear implants offer the broadest pediatric indications of any hearing implant manufacturer, which is important as early access to intervention has the potential to improve hearing, language, literacy, and quality of life.

“We’re excited to again attend ACIA to deliver evidenced-based education to the cochlear implant community that will inform clinical practice in the future,” said John Sparacio, the President and CEO of MED-EL US. “We are committed at MED-EL to innovation that delivers leading-edge technology that restores hearing and empowers connection. In addition to showcasing our expanded pediatric indications, we look forward to communicating about how our research approach – rooted in individual anatomy – is vital to decision making in cochlear implantation.”

“Patient-centered cochlear implantation means letting each patient’s anatomy guide our decisions. With thoughtful preoperative planning and anatomy-based tools like OTOPLAN, we can confidently select electrodes that support long-term outcomes—achieving hearing preservation while ensuring complete cochlear coverage—so we’re treating the individual patient, not an average,” said Todd Hillman M.D., Pittsburgh Ear Associates P.C.

Participants are invited to explore how MED-EL’s latest technologies embody the company’s enduring promise to empower clinicians and improve patient care.

“​When Anatomy Drives Decisions in Cochlear Implantation​”
​​Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 2:45-4:00 PM

This symposium dives into what becomes possible when anatomy, not averages, shapes cochlear implant design as well as surgical and programming strategies. Through data-driven presentations and real-world clinical insights, leading surgeons, audiologists, and researchers will showcase how MED-EL’s technology, including its electrode portfolio, sound coding, OTOPLAN, and Anatomy-Based Fitting, enables individualized cochlear implant care.

“​Early Sound, Lifelong Impact: Advancing Pediatric Cochlear Implant Care​”
Friday, May 8, 2026, 7:30-8:30 AM

This symposium highlights the latest advancements shaping pediatric cochlear implant care, with a focus on expanded access, individualized treatment, and long-term outcomes. Featuring data from landmark studies and real-world clinical and user experience, this session will explore MED-EL’s expanded pediatric indications and how MED-EL technology supports personalized care throughout the pediatric cochlear implant journey.

About MED-EL

MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by its mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair. Their ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and became the basis for the modern CI today. The company hired its first employees in 1990 and has since grown to more than 2,900 employees across 90 nations and 30 locations worldwide.

The company offers the widest range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in 137 countries to enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL’s hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined electric acoustic stimulation hearing implant system, as well as surgical and non-surgical bone conduction devices. www.medel.com

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