萝莉社

For more than a decade, 49-year-old Guillermo Cordoba lived in a world growing steadily quieter as his hearing declined. At first, the change was bearable, with a missing word here and a muffled sound there. However, the hearing loss soon began to affect every part of his life.

鈥淎t home, my wife thought I wasn鈥檛 paying attention,鈥� Cordoba said. 鈥淎t work, I was worried people thought I wasn鈥檛 listening. I just couldn鈥檛 hear them. I even started reading lips because it was the only way to keep up with conversations.鈥�

Cordoba鈥檚 career in customer service required constant communication with customers and colleagues. Over-the-counter hearing devices and prescribed hearing aids offered little help.

鈥淚 had the volume turned all the way up, and it still wasn鈥檛 loud enough for me to hear properly,鈥� Cordoba said. 鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 have to accept losing my hearing, learn sign language and give up my job.鈥�

A Turning Point

Cordoba鈥檚 search for help led him to several physicians and discouraging experiences. Everything changed when he was referred to 萝莉社 Jacksonville, where he met Nirmal Thapa, MD, an otology and neurotology physician, and Cayce Jabour, AuD, CCC-A, an audiologist. Together, they approached Cordoba鈥檚 case differently than the others.

Thapa and Jabour explained the various options to Cordoba, including him in every decision, and treating him like a partner in his own care. Cordoba felt heard for the first time.

Jabour remembers their first appointment vividly.

鈥淢r. Cordoba came in frustrated with hearing aids that weren鈥檛 helping him,鈥� Jabour said. 鈥淲hen I placed a bone conduction simulator on him, his eyes lit up as he was able to hear so much. That moment was powerful for both of us.鈥�

Understanding the Diagnosis

Cordoba鈥檚 case wasn鈥檛 straightforward. His hearing organ, the inner ear, was working well, but his middle ear was blocking sound. Imaging and exploratory surgery revealed that traditional repairs wouldn鈥檛 solve the problem.

鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like a roadblock in the middle ear,鈥� Jabour said. 鈥淪ound simply couldn鈥檛 pass through to reach the inner ear. His case was unusual, and to this day, we can鈥檛 pinpoint exactly why it developed. We knew surgery alone wouldn鈥檛 restore his hearing. He needed another solution.鈥�

That solution was a bilateral Osia implant, a bone-anchored hearing system that bypasses the middle ear entirely. Instead of sending sound waves through the damaged area, the implant delivers sound through gentle vibrations conducted through bone directly to the inner ear, where hearing is processed.

Each implant has a small internal component surgically placed under the skin and attached to the bone behind the ear, and an external sound processor that connects magnetically. The external processor captures sound, converts it into vibrations and sends it through the bone to the inner ear.

The Procedure and Recovery

鈥淲hen Dr. Thapa explained everything to me, I trusted him completely,鈥� Cordoba said. 鈥淗is bedside manner was out of this world. He gave me choices, not orders. We worked as a team.鈥�

Thapa performed the surgery to place the implants in both of Cordoba鈥檚 ears. It was an outpatient procedure, and after a short, four-week recovery, Cordoba returned to the audiology department for activation.

When Cordoba鈥檚 implants were activated, it was an unforgettable moment. 鈥淲hen the device was turned on, it was like a miracle,鈥� Cordoba said. 鈥淚 could hear clearly 鈥� conversations, laughter and everyday sounds I had been missing. It gave me my life back.鈥�

Jabour added, 鈥淔or many patients, the word 鈥榮urgery鈥� feels overwhelming. But this is minimally invasive, with a quick recovery. Most patients are back to their daily lives within weeks.鈥�

For Cordoba, that meant returning to his family and career without fear of missing out on the world around him.

Life After the Implant

Cordoba continues to thrive. He enjoys time with his wife, four stepsons and five grandchildren. He swims regularly, using a waterproof kit that allows him to hear even in the pool. His confidence has returned at work.

鈥淏esides my family, Dr. Thapa and Dr. Jabour were my biggest support system,鈥� Cordoba said. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 just treat me like a patient. They cared about me as a person, asking about my family and my life. That meant so much.鈥�

A Message of Hope

Jabour sees Cordoba鈥檚 success story as an example of what鈥檚 possible for others living with hearing loss.

鈥淣ot every case is the same, but with the right diagnosis and treatment, there are ways to restore hearing and improve quality of life. Patients don鈥檛 have to suffer in silence,鈥� Jabour said.

For Cordoba, the outcome speaks for itself. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful every day,鈥� Cordoba said. 鈥淭his has been a miracle, and I want others to know that they don鈥檛 have to stop living because of hearing loss.鈥�

Hear the Difference at 萝莉社 Jacksonville

Our highly trained ear, nose and throat physicians at 萝莉社 Jacksonville offer advanced hearing care, from diagnostics and audiology services to innovative treatments, such as bone-anchored and cochlear implants, as well as complex otorhinolaryngology surgeries.

Call 904.383.1017 to schedule an appointment, or visit 萝莉社HealthJax.org/ENT to learn more about hearing solutions and treatment options.