Four-year-old Saudi child Wajdi al-Nasi smiled and laughed after managing to hear for the first time following an operation conducted at King Khalid Hospital in Najran.
Nasi was born deaf with congenital hearing loss that affected his ability to develop speech, Dr. Ali Qannas, an ENT surgeon, told Al Arabiya.
Qannas noted that the surgery is costly, however, it is performed for free in the Kingdom.
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He also said that the operation was the first of its kind to be performed in Najran, adding that two similar operations will be conducted soon.
The four-hour cochlear implant operation was performed after two years of appointments at the hospital’s otolaryngology department to ensure the reliability of the auditory nerve and the cochlea.
Nasi will be in a rehabilitation program the rest of the year to develop his new skills and complete the necessary treatment.
Separately on Monday, Najran Governor Prince Jalawi bin Abdul Aziz bin Musaed met with Nasi and his parents to extend his congratulations for the successful surgery, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
With Reuters
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