Limbaugh to undergo second cochlear implant

Radio personality and Cape Girardeau native Rush Limbaugh announced on his show Tuesday that he has decided to undergo surgery for a second cochlear implant.

He received surgery for the first implant for his left ear about 13 years ago, he said, and doctors at the time advised him against getting the second implant in case a cure was developed for his deteriorated hearing.

On his show Limbaugh said he was told at the time that one ear needed to remain untouched to apply the cure. Cochlear implant surgery replaces the hair cells attached to the cochlea with man-made electrodes that bypass damaged cells that cause hearing loss and stimulate the cochlea's hearing nerve, sending impulses to the brain where they are interpreted as sound.

" ... I'd ask, 'How long is the cure gonna be?' They said, 'We're hoping 10 years.' Well, 10 years came and went and there was no cure," he said.

As his hearing continued to deteriorate, Limbaugh said he finally decided a second implant was the best move.

"This is a backstop. If it does not provide any improvement, it doesn't matter. I still have the one that I have now that I know is perfectly functional and usable," he said. "So the only thing it can be is a bonus."

Although he experienced some difficulty with his first implant -- it causes him to develop a facial tic when all the electrodes are attached -- Limbaugh called the procedure a "miracle" that allowed him to continue his career as a talk-show host.