Sense of taste in patients after cochlear implantation-preliminary study

Taste is the leading sense in how we determine the quality of consumed food. Proper gustatory sensation largely determines the well-being and health of an organism, and this affects their quality of life.

The aim of the present study was to estimate the risk of early taste disorders following implantation surgery.

Twenty patients underwent a taste test before, 1 day after, and 1 month after cochlear implantation. The taste sensations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter were determined.

Statistical analysis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between individual tests among the entire study group. After dividing the respondents into smoking (n=6) and non-smoking (n=14) groups, only a weak correlation (p = 0.043) was found between the results of the first and second examination in the smoker group. However, a statistically significant decrease in the number of saline-sensitive (p<0.001) and acid-sensitive (p = 0.042) subjects was observed.

These findings suggest that people after a cochlear implant may have transient taste disorders. Taste disorder called dysgeusia may be an early complication after the implantation procedure contributing to deterioration of patients quality of life.