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Is there a deafness duration limit for cochlear implants in post-lingual deaf adults?
In Seok Moon1, Sera Park, Hee-Nam Kim
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine , Seoul.
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
|November 30, 2013
Summary
Cochlear implantation (CI) benefits patients with post-lingual deafness, regardless of how long they have been deaf. Even individuals deaf for over 30 years show favorable outcomes after CI surgery.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Cochlear implantation (CI) is a recognized treatment for post-lingual deafness.
- The efficacy of CI in patients with extremely long-term deafness remains under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the auditory performance of patients with post-lingual deafness after CI, specifically those deaf for over 30 years.
- To determine if the duration of deafness impacts CI outcomes.
Main Methods:
- 81 adult patients with post-lingual deafness underwent CI.
- Speech perception tests were administered preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively.
- Patients were grouped by duration of deafness to compare outcomes.
Main Results:
- All patient groups demonstrated significant improvements in open-set speech perception scores post-CI.
- No significant differences in speech perception improvement were found between groups with varying durations of deafness.
- Age at onset of deafness was a key factor, with pre-adolescence onset correlating with poorer outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Duration of deafness should not be a criterion for excluding patients from cochlear implantation.
- Favorable outcomes are achievable with CI even in cases of extremely long-term post-lingual deafness, particularly for those losing hearing after adolescence.
