Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Cochlear Implantation in the Guinea Pig
Published on: June 15, 2018
Why Do Candidates Forgo Cochlear Implantation?
Joshua J Sturm1, Gabriel Brandner1, Cheng Ma2
1Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Objective:
Identify barriers and facilitating factors in cochlear implant (CI) utilization by comparing functional measures between CI candidates who undergo or forgo implantation.
Methods:
Forty-three participants were separated into two groups: (1) 28 participants who underwent CI and (2) 15 participants who elected not to proceed with CI despite meeting eligibility criteria (no-CI). Prior to implantation, all participants completed the CI Quality of Life (CIQOL)-35 Profile and CIQOL-Expectations instrument. They were also surveyed on factors contributing to their decision to either undergo or forgo CI. Word and speech recognition were determined using the Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) and the AzBio tests, respectively.
Results:
CIQOL-Expectations scores were indistinguishable between groups, but there were substantial differences in baseline CIQOL-35 Profile scores. Compared to the CI group, the no-CI group exhibited higher pre-CI scores in the Emotional (Cohen's d [95% CI] = 0.8 [0.1, 1.5]) and Entertainment (Cohen's d [95% CI] = 0.8 [0.1, 1.5]) domains. Survey data revealed that the most commonly reported barriers to pursuing CI in the no-CI cohort were fear of surgical complications (85%), cost associated with implantation (85%), and perception that hearing was not poor enough for CI surgery (85%).
Conclusions And Relevance:
The results of this study indicate that functional outcome expectations are similar between candidates who elect to receive or forgo CI, yet those who forgo CI have higher baseline CI-specific QOL abilities.
Level Of Evidence:
4 Laryngoscope, 133:3548-3553, 2023.
