Abdulrahman Hagr
Professor Abdulrahman Hagr is a distinguished Otolaryngology consultant and Otology–Neurotology surgeon at King Saud University (KSU), where he has served since 2013. He is the founder and former Director of the King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center (KAESC) (2011–2023) and the founder of the largest cochlear implant program in Saudi Arabia, with more than 2,000 implantations performed.
Professor Hagr established the Saudi National Neonatal Hearing Screening Program and launched KSU’s Otology–Neurotology Fellowship in 2008. He has pioneered multiple hearing implant technologies in the Kingdom, including BAHA, Hybrid CI, ABI, ABCI, Bonebridge, Vibroplasty, and Vistafix, positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional and international leader in hearing rehabilitation.
He is the President of the Saudi ORL Society (since 2010) and the founder of the Arab Academy of Otology and Cochlear Implant (AAOCI). Internationally, he serves as an advisor to the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Middle East Secretary for IFOS, and is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Academy. He was also Program Chair of the IFOS Congress 2023.
Professor Hagr holds fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSc) and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (ad hominem). With over 70 peer-reviewed publications, 10 books, 8 patents, and more than 1,500 citations, his research focuses on cochlear implantation, hearing preservation, and implant technology. He is internationally recognized for the rapid and safe “Saudi Method” of cochlear implantation, including participation in a world record of 66 cochlear implant surgeries in 24 hours.
Sessions
Despite growing clinical evidence supporting cochlear implantation in adults, utilization remains low in many countries due to financial barriers, limited public awareness, and delayed referral pathways. This presentation explores the gap between evidence and real-world access, highlighting current challenges and practical strategies to improve adult cochlear implantation uptake through multidisciplinary collaboration, patient education, and policy development.
Hearing impairment is a prevalent human disability worldwide. Severe sensorineural hearing loss can significantly impact an individual's quality of life. Cochlear implantation is the most effective treatment for rehabilitating these cases, enabling individuals to hear, communicate with society, and overcome many communication barriers.
despite being a costly and surgically complex procedure, cochlear implantation has transformed the lives of numerous individuals. This presentation highlights the success of humanitarian cochlear implant operations performed on a large number of patients from war-torn and disaster-stricken countries. These operations were executed with minimal complications, underscoring the transformative impact of this medical intervention.