An evaluation of hearing preservation outcomes in routine cochlear implant care: Implications for candidacy

Verschuur, Carl, Hellier, William and Teo, Chermaine (2016) An evaluation of hearing preservation outcomes in routine cochlear implant care: Implications for candidacy. Cochlear Implants International, 17 (S1), 62-65. (doi:10.1080/14670100.2016.1152007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Introduction: A retrospective evaluation of pre- and post-operative audiometric data at a single large UK cochlear implant centre over 25 years was undertaken.

Methods: Analysis of pre-operative hearing levels showed that there was a modest but significant reduction in average pre-operative hearing thresholds among patients referred between 1990 and 2015, particularly in the low frequencies.

Outcomes: The proportion of those referred who would meet widely-accepted candidacy criteria for electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) grew significantly over time but in the period 2011-2015 just 9% of those referred had sufficient residual hearing for EAS. On average, implant recipients lost 20 dB hearing at frequencies ≤1000 Hz as a result of the surgery.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that hearing preservation is now widely achievable, and that both candidacy criteria and referrer education should take into account potential EAS benefit.

Text

Verschuur 2016 Hearing preservation and CI candidacy - Version of Record

Restricted to Repository staff only

Request a copy

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 31 March 2016

e-pub ahead of print date: 21 April 2016

Published date: 2016

Additional Information: Although there are 220, 000 cochlear implant (CI) recipients worldwide, as many as two million could benefit from the life-changing technology. A key barrier to increasing uptake is the (perceived) risk of losing residual hearing post-operatively, even though those with better residual hearing will do better with CI. Our study is unique in showing that patients treated in a routine CI clinic environment in recent years have good hearing preservation outcomes, despite the fact that referral rates for those with better residual hearing remain low. These findings support expansion of CI candidacy and access for those with better residual hearing.

Organisations: Auditory Implant Service