Bilateral cochlear implantation in a patient with long-term deafness

1) To report the case of a 70-year-old patient with a history of auditory deprivation for 80% of his life and who received bilateral cochlear implants and 2) to discuss different aspects of the case, including duration of auditory deprivation, the decision for bilateral implantation, age at implantation, and the use of this treatment modality for tinnitus.

A two-stages bilateral cochlear implantation was performed in a 70-year-old patient with long-term deafness without operative or post-operative problems with excellent functional result.

Various studies have reported that in patients with long-term auditory deprivation, the results of cochlear implants are delayed and sometimes unsatisfactory when compared to patients with more recent post-lingual deafness. However they did not contraindicate the surgery. The positive results with the first implant (both for the tinnitus and the hearing loss) motivated the patient and medical team to proceed to bilateral implantation.

Patients with longstanding auditory deprivation can achieve good functional results even though at a slower rate. The use of bilateral cochlear implants accelerates and optimizes the final outcome.