Cochlear implantation for unilateral deafness with and without tinnitus: a case series

To investigate cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with unilateral deafness with and without tinnitus.

Prospective case series of patients undergoing cochlear implantation for unilateral deafness and tinnitus in a tertiary academic unit.

Nine postlingually deafened subjects with unilateral hearing loss, with and without tinnitus ipsilaterally, and functional hearing in the contralateral ear were implanted with a standard electrode. Speech perception in noise was tested using the Bamford-Kowal-Bench presented at 65 dB SPL. The Speech, Spatial, and Qualities (SSQ) of Hearing Scale was used to evaluate the subjective perception of hearing outcomes, and the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire assessed the effect on tinnitus.

All patients were implanted with the Med-El Flex soft electrode, Innsbruck, Austria. They are regularly wearing the speech processor and find it beneficial in improving their ability to hear, particularly in noise. Decrease of tinnitus perception and an improvement of sound localization sounds were also reported by these patients.

In our case series, CI was successful for all nine patients, with improvement of speech recognition in noise, self-perceived improvement of hearing, and for tinnitus control. Several factors such as deafness duration, age of deafness onset, the presence of residual hearing, patient motivation, and the rehabilitation intensity need to be further investigated in order to understand their impact on performance after implantation.

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