London Health Sciences Centre's Children's Hospital has recently unveiled three new revolutionary surgeries for young patients, offering new hope for those with hearing impairments.

Over the past year, a team of experts at LHSC became pioneers in Canada by performing a paediatric auditory brainstem implant (ABI) and in North America by robotically inserting a paediatric cochlear implant. Additionally, they have added the Oticon implant, a well-established bone conduction hearing device, to their list of surgical procedures.

Dr. Sumit Agrawal, the head of LHSC's department of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, expressed his enthusiasm for these innovative treatments, stating that LHSC's status as the first HEARRING Centre of Excellence in Canada drives them to continue leading the way in cutting-edge care.

Savannah Lee, born without hearing ability in January 2023, became a candidate for a paediatric ABI on the right side of her head after consultations with Dr. Demir Bajin and the surgical team at LHSC. Despite the risks involved in the surgery, Savannah's family decided to proceed with the procedure, which involved implanting a device directly into her brain.

Savannah underwent the groundbreaking operation at just a year-and-a-half-old in July 2024, becoming the first child in Canada to receive this treatment. Her care team successfully activated the implant about a month later, allowing her to hear for the first time.

Following this success, Savannah received a cochlear implant on the left side of her head at the end of 2024, providing her with improved audibility and the ability to localize sounds. Dr. Bajin believes that this technology is a game-changer for children like Savannah and is confident that her case will open doors for other children in Canada to access similar treatments in the future.

In February 2025, the same team at LHSC completed North America's first paediatric robotic cochlear implant surgery using a specialized robot called the OTODRIVE. This groundbreaking procedure was made possible by generous donations from the London Health Sciences Foundation.

Furthermore, LHSC began offering the Oticon implant in March 2024, providing patients with an alternative hearing device option. Dr. Peng You, an otolaryngologist at LHSC, expressed his excitement about bringing this care closer to home and empowering families with more choices for their children's healthcare needs.