A bespoke ear helps Stephen hear sounds from his left

Stephen Gilbert can now hear someone speaking on his left, thanks to a bespoke artificial ear that holds a hearing aid. The 74-year-old from Aghalee calls the change “very special”.

Born with an underdeveloped outer ear on that side, he has received prosthetic care at the Ulster Hospital since 1997. His latest design combines appearance with a practical hearing aid, sending sounds from his left to his functioning ear.

That distinction matters. NHS guidance on sound-routing hearing aids explains that they provide access to sound through the better ear; they do not restore hearing in the poorer one. Getting used to the sound can also take time.

At the Ulster Hospital, prostheses are individually shaped, coloured and fitted. A mould of Gilbert’s right ear helped create a matching left one, supported by small implants.

The result is personal rather than a promise for every patient: Gilbert feels less self-conscious, and conversations on his left are now easier to hear.

Sources

• BBC — Stephen Gilbert’s new prosthesis and hearing aid
• NHS Tayside — how hearing aids route sound between ears