The first center in Ukraine dedicated to helping soldiers with hearing damage has opened in the capital. The facility launched on September 25 at the Rhino clinic with support from the charitable foundation “Pivnyk.” All diagnostics, consultations, and surgeries are provided free of charge.
“We restore hearing for soldiers. This includes repairing sound conduction and reconstructing the integrity of the eardrum. Blast injuries are among the most common wounds we see. We call it the invisible injury of war,” Humanitarian Media Hub reports, citing ENT surgeon and Rhino clinic medical director Dmytro Zinia.
According to the doctor, hearing loss is one of the most widespread issues among service members, yet its symptoms often go unnoticed. Untreated damage can lead to serious communication difficulties and challenges with reintegration after returning from the front.
The center has already performed more than a hundred surgeries. A hearing specialist assesses the degree of hearing loss before planning an operation. All procedures are funded by the foundation, which covers the cost of interventions. The idea for the center emerged after a successful surgery for a wounded soldier last year. Now the team aims to perform up to a thousand operations annually.
In Ukraine, only about thirty specialists are qualified to carry out such procedures. Thanks to the new center, the number of soldiers who can regain their hearing will increase significantly.
Treatment requires a referral, medical examinations, and hospitalization approval, but the clinic simplifies the process by offering online consultations—even from the front line.
One-day surgery allows patients to return home the next day with medication and instructions. After the operation, soldiers attend three follow-up visits to assess the success of hearing restoration.
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