What are the risks and recovery expectations?

Risks are low but include infection, bleeding, facial nerve injury, tinnitus, dizziness, and device failure. Recovery involves a 5–7 day hospital stay, with the surgical site healing over 4–6 weeks. The external processor is activated at 4 weeks, followed by multiple mapping sessions to optimize sound perception. Most patients experience significant improvement in hearing and speech understanding within 3–6 months, though full adaptation may take up to a year.