KNOWLEDGE OF COCHLEAR IMPLANTS IN FEDERAL DISTRICT AUDIOLOGISTS, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS, AND OTOLARYNGOLOGISTS Conhecimento de fonoaudiólogos e otorrinolaringologistas do Distrito Federal acerca do implante coclear

Conflict of interest: non-existent It is an electronic device, which substitutes the organ of Corti and directly stimulates ganglion cells of the auditory nerve, providing the individual with the sensation of hearing2. The cochlear implant has become the “gold standard” treatment choice for children with profound to severe sensorineural hearing loss, when there are no gains with a hearing prosthesis. The earlier the child is cochlear implanted, the better the hearing results in the rehabilitation process will be. It is important to emphasize that the cochlear implant is not an adequate resource for all types of deafness; it should be used in individuals with extensive impairment3,4. The rehabilitation process does not always occur in the same center where the surgical procedure was performed. In many cases, the patients are from other cities. Reports suggest that only one third of these professionals have experience with implanted children. Moreover, some of these are unaware of recent advances on this topic and their „ INTRODUCTION