After surgery in St. Pölten

Deaf patient can hear Mozart’s music again

Dr. Astrid Magele and head physician Dr. Georg Sprinzl relieved their patient of silent suffering(Bild: Imre Antal)

When Gerhard Amar entered the ENT department of the University Hospital in St. Pölten, he was enveloped in complete silence! He overcame his deafness with a surgical masterpiece. 

I never thought that one day I would be able to hear the great compositions of Mozart, piano works by Liszt or very simple melodies again. But now these sounds permeate me like sounds from another world," says Gerhard Amar (53), flooded with gratitude in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper.

Rediscovering the world
"The first sounds after the implantation were overwhelming for me. It was as if I was rediscovering the world," reports the design engineer as he gratefully grasps the hand of gentle expert Dr. Astrid Magele. "The patient had suffered from bilateral, profound hearing loss since birth. Conventional mechanical treatment was no longer possible. The disorder became more and more pronounced," explains the sympathetic, empathetic and competent doctor.

Head physician Dr. Georg Sprinzl with his team from the ENT department at St. Pölten University Hospital.(Bild: Imre Antal)

Marvels of technology
In two operations, she implanted special cochlear implants from the Innsbruck-based company Medel into the man, who lives in the village of Hohe Wand in the district of Wiener Neustadt. "These stimulate the auditory nerve directly and are able to overcome deafness," explains Dr. Georg Sprinzl, prudent head of the ENT department at the university hospital, who has developed the ward with his team into a center recognized throughout Austria and in turn performs internationally recognized medical masterpieces almost daily.

Enjoying life to the full
Over time, Gerhard Amar also developed an excellent understanding of language again. "I have found my way back into the world of sound and can now enjoy my professional life to the full again - for example during telephone conferences," says the now hearing-impaired man, deeply moved.