Audiological medicine and treatment in Chile have recentlybeen brought in line with more mature markets. The country’sspecialists have spent 25 years in an uncompromising struggle,for example, to see deafness/hypoacusis recognised as the mostwidespread disability in the country, an acknowledgement thatwould warrant such conditions being treated under the state. Forthis reason, the holding of GICCA 2017 in Santiago is far morethan an opportunity for Chile to update, carry out networking, anddo some business.

The 7th Congress of the Iberoamerican Cochlear Implants andRelated Sciences Group (GICCA) is to be held from April 23 to 26next year, and “for Chile it means tremendous recognition, sincethey handed the staging of this to us,” explains otorhinolaryngologistGloria Ribalta, vice-president of the event. “Such recognitionof the efforts and persistence of Chilean professionals who havedevoted their careers to this is afantastic achievement because ithas been an immense undertakingfor us given that health authoritiesin this country, whatever politicalcolour they have been, have givenus very little support historically.”

In Latin America, the most importantmarkets have been Brazil, Argentina,and Colombia, basically becausethey have had laws for some yearsthat allow them to carry out cochlear implant operations free tolocal patients who need them. “For 25 years, we have had to workon the basis of private efforts made by each family with a hearingdisabledperson,” points out Ribalta.

It will be the first time that GICCA has been held in Chile. In thefield of implants and hypoacusis there has not been an event ofthis nature “since 2005, when the Chilean congress coincided withthe Iberoamerican otorhinolaryngology conference. Normally, attendanceat the national (Chilean) congress reaches a maximumof 300 persons. If we limit that to those of us devoted purely tohearing, we would be lucky to number 100. And if we consider onlythose working in implants, in Chile we would amount to around20 people. For GICCA, we are already talking about more than 600persons, Chileans and foreign visitors, particularly Latin Americansand Spaniards; this means the study collective on cochlear implants for Iberoamerica. In these terms, this is a mega-event forus,” explains Dr. Ribalta.

In addition to single-subject discussions, the event willboast satellite symposia

The majority of exhibitors have already sent in their presentations.The three most important implant firms in the world (Austrians MEDEL,USA’s Advanced Bionic, and the Australian company, Cochlear)have confirmed their presence and committed to stands, practicalcourses for medics, and even satellite symposia taking place justbefore GICCA.

The congress days will run from 0800 to 1700 hours, and willtake place in the Hotel Continental, located in a privileged areaof Santiago, a business and touristic area full of restaurants andhotels, very close to one of the biggest and most diverse businesscentres in America.

The congress programme is practically ready. Presentations will bedivided into subjects: otological surgery, (for implantologists), audiology(technology), hearing loss rehabilitation, practical workshops,dissection master-class, and evidence, experience, and innovation.

Audio Infos talked to speech-languagepathologist Carolina Giesen, sales managerat the TechSalud hearing centre, who willtake part in GICCA 2017. Her presentationsare on audiology and rehabilitation. One istitled “Conditioned Play Audiometry usingsensory integration techniques in children”,research aimed at “evaluating userperception of play techniques based onsensory integration, employed for hearingexaminations of children with or withoutdifficulties at the TechSalud centre overa 19-month period”. The second is titled “Parent experiences asco-therapists in systemic treatment with an interdisciplinary team”,a study conducted to “evaluate the perception of families of jointworking and co-therapy experiences as a strategy to give childrena familiar environment in which to favour global skill development”explains Carolina Giesen.

Meanwhile, each separate GICCA has paid a tribute to a particularoutstanding Latin American professional. Dr. Gloria Ribalta revealedto Audio Infos that the 7th congress will pay homage to the Argentinianimplantologist “Dr. Vicente Diamante, who is over 80 years ofage and still super-active, and even carrying out implants. He willbe next year’s guest of honour.”

More information: GICCA’s website

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Photos: GICCA, G.L.P.