Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Robotic Cochlear Implantation for Direct Cochlear Access
Published on: June 16, 2022
Cost-Utility of Bilateral Versus Unilateral Cochlear Implantation in Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Yvette E Smulders1, Alice van Zon, Inge Stegeman
1*Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery†Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht‡Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Isalaklinieken, Zwolle§Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht||Department of Otorhinolaryngology¶Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Research School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen#Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery**Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden††Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery‡‡Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To study the cost-utility of simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation (CI) versus unilateral CI.
Study Design:
Randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Setting:
Five tertiary referral centers.
Patients:
Thirty-eight postlingually deafened adults eligible for cochlear implantation.
Interventions:
A cost-utility analysis was performed from a health insurance perspective.
Main Outcome Measures:
Utility was assessed using the HUI3, TTO, VAS on hearing, VAS on general health and EQ-5D. We modeled the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of unilateral versus bilateral CI over periods of 2, 5, 10, 25 years, and actual life-expectancy.
Results:
Direct costs for unilateral and bilateral CI were €43,883 ± €11,513(SD) and €87,765 ± €23,027(SD) respectively. Annual costs from the second year onward were €3,435 ± €1,085(SD) and €6,871 ± €2,169(SD), respectively. A cost-utility analysis revealed that a second implant became cost-effective after a 5- to 10-year period, based on the HUI3, TTO, and VAS on hearing.
Conclusion:
This is the first study that describes a cost-utility analysis to compare unilateral with simultaneous bilateral CI in postlingually deafened adults, using a multicenter RCT. Compared with accepted societal willingness-to-pay thresholds, simultaneous bilateral CI is a cost-effective treatment for patients with a life expectancy of 5-10 years or longer.
More Related Videos
07:00Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process
Published on: June 21, 2024
06:04Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023