The Ear Institute of Chicago is a medical and surgical practice that devotes itself entirely to the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ear, facial nerve and related structures (otology/neurotology and skull base surgery). The Ear Institute of Chicago is a practice of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Medical Group and is actively engaged in resident teaching through an affiliation with the Northwestern University Department of Otolaryngology. This website is designed to educate and inform our patients, physicians and other health care professionals.
The patient resources section of our website is designed to help make your visit to our office a pleasurable experience. This section enhances the patient-physician-audiologist relationship by giving you 24-hour access to new patient forms, postoperative instructions, pre-procedures instructions, tinnitus visit forms and frequently asked questions.
If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to call our office (630-789-3110) during normal business hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Central Time.

Hearing Screening Questionnaire

Earlens Sound Processor (Left) and Lens (Right)

We are proud to be a provider of Earlens, the world’s first and only hearing solution to directly vibrate the eardrum without surgery. Earlens delivers more complete sound than any traditional, acoustic hearing aid. The more complete sound comes from the Earlens ability to pick up and transmit a broader range of sounds than an acoustic hearing aid. The broader range of sound is associated with a more natural sound quality and better hearing in noise.
In Earlens, a Processor worn behind the ear sends an audio signal through the Ear Tip to a custom Lens that rests directly on the eardrum. When the eardrum receives the signal, it gently vibrates the eardrum to activate the ear’s natural hearing system.
For more information regarding Earlens, click here.
TIME magazine listed the Earlens as one of the best inventions of 2020. See the listing by clicking here.
Forbes Health recently reviewed the Earlens hearing system. For the full report, click here.

(Photos courtesy of Earlens Co., Menlo Park, CA)

Professional Staff of the Ear Institute of Chicago

(L to R) K. Highouse, AuD / M. Tedness, AuD, R. Battista, MD / Brigid Townsend, AuD / J. Messina, AuD

• On Monday, April 24, 2023, at 12 Noon, CDT, the Ear Institute of Chicago will host a webinar regarding the Earlens hearing aid system.
• Dr. Robert Battista gave a webinar to Amita Health primary care and emergency room physicians on October 28, 2021. The webinar was entitled, "Otoscopic Diagnosis for the Primary Care/Emergency Room Physician." The webinar reviewed the various ways to diagnose outer and middle ear diseases through an examination of the ear using a handheld otoscope or microscope.
• Dr. Robert Battista gave a classroom lecture, entitled, "An Overview of Vestibular Disorders" to the Midwestern University Physical Therapy students on August 4, 2022.

Information Regarding Hearing Loss and Hearing Loss Prevention

• Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids have become available in the United States as of October 17, 2022. For frequently asked questions regarding OTC hearing aids, please click here.

• Our National Academy, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has recently published an article regarding the import association between hearing loss and dementia. For access to this article, click here.

• Noise-induced hearing loss happens because of loud noises that damage the inner ear. Listening to music at volumes louder than 85 decibels (dB) for prolonged periods of time will cause permanent hearing loss. For more information about noise-induced hearing loss, click here.

• In April 2021 our National Academy, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery published a recommendation regarding a cochlear implant for unilateral sensorineural hearing loss (single-sided deafness). For more information regarding a cochlear implant and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, click here.

Robert Battista, MD, gave the following presentations:

• Surgical Management of the Dizzy Patient at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab Vestibular Course, Chicago, IL, 3/3/2022
• The Latest Treatments for Hearing Loss: From Stem Cell Research to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids at Bolingbrook Hospital, Bolingbrook, IL, 3/12/19

Robert Battista, MD, conducted the following webinars on AudiologyOnline:

• Unusual Causes of Conductive Hearing Loss, 4/27/2016
• Chronic Otitis Media and Cholesteatoma, 5/11/2016
• Residual Hearing and Hearing Preservation Using a Standard Length Cochlear Implant, 2/8/2017
• Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence, 4/26/2017