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Updated: May 2, 2026
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Impedance Monitoring for Cochlear Implant Surgery
Published on: August 4, 2023
Outcomes of cochlear reimplantation in adults
Simran Mahtani1, Fergal Glynn, Deborah Jane Mawman
1*Medical Student, University of Manchester; †Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre; ‡Adult Cochlear Implant Programme; §Department of Audiology, Manchester Royal Infirmary; ∥School of Cancer and Enabling Services; and ¶Respiratory and Allergy Centre, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Objective:
To determine the indications for, and auditory outcomes following, cochlear reimplantation in adults and investigate factors influencing outcome.
Study Design:
Retrospective case series.
Setting:
Cochlear implant program in a tertiary care hospital.
Patients:
Thirty adults (32 ears) who have undergone cochlear reimplantation in the ipsilateral ear.
Intervention(S):
Explantation and reimplantation of cochlear implant.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Speech discrimination as measured using Bamford-Kowal Bench sentence testing in quiet (BKBq) and noisy (BKBn) environments.
Results:
Best BKBq improved from 58.5% to 71.4% (p = 0.0242), and BKBn improved from 60.9% to 67.2% (p = 0.826) after reimplantation. Device failure was the most common indication for reimplantation. There was no significant difference in failure rate or outcome between implant manufacturers. The mean time to reimplantation was 4.7 years, and this was not related to auditory outcome. Otosclerosis and Ménière's disease may predispose to a worse auditory outcome after reimplantation.
Conclusion:
Cochlear reimplantation does not have a detrimental effect on auditory outcomes and in some cases results in improved speech perception.
