A cochlear implant is a small electronic device. It has two parts. One part sits behind the ear. It picks up sounds with a microphone. It then processes the sound and transmits it to the second part of the implant. The second part is put through the skin and implanted in the inner ear during a surgery. A thin wire and small electrodes leads to the cochlea, which is part of the inner ear. The wire sends signals to the auditory nerve. The goal of all cochlear implants is to electrically encode speech in a manner in which it will be understood in a variety of listening environments. Each cochlear implant manufacturer utilizes different speech-coding strategies. Speech-coding strategies are a set of rules used to convert acoustic signals into electrical stimulation. The objective is to convey high-fidelity electrical representation of the incoming sound, thereby allowing the cochlear implant user to perceive sound in a similar way to a normal hearing listener, even with a severe and/or profound hearing loss. A cochlear implant requires a period of training and therapy after surgery. During this time, you will learn how to care for the implant. You will also have aural rehabilitation. This will help to improve your use of the implant. The amount of time you need for aural rehab depends on your age and your hearing before surgery.