A London opera singer who hid her hearing loss for more than 30 years says a revolutionary operation has changed her life and could pave the way for thousands of other patients in Britain.
Janine Roebuck, 72, underwent the placement of two cochlear implants, electronic devices that restore hearing to people with profound deafness. According to her, the difference between one implant and two implants is “like night and day.”
"The voice is fuller, clearer and more natural. I can better understand where sounds are coming from and follow conversations without getting tired," she said.
Roebuck suffered from a hereditary form of hearing loss that had run in her family for generations. Although she was a mezzo-soprano and performed in opera and musicals, including at the Royal Opera House in London, she kept her hearing loss a secret for decades.
In 2019, the NHS funded an implant for one ear, while she paid for the second implant herself. She now says she no longer considers herself deaf.
"The implants restored my connection to the world and to people. For the first time in many years, I feel safe and free," she said.
Her case has become part of a national study in Britain, where 14 hospitals and more than 250 patients will test the effect of dual implants in adults who lose hearing later in life.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke's Hospital believe that bilateral implants could reduce social isolation, anxiety and depression, significantly improving quality of life.
