Pediatric cochlear implantation in otitis media with effusion: Are ventilation tubes truly necessary?

We aimed to evaluate the clinical findings of our cochlear implant (CI) patients with otitis media with effusion (OME) and CI patients treated with ventilation tube (VT) for OME.

The medical records of patients who underwent CI surgery at Hacettepe University, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, between November 1997 and March 2023 were reviewed. Patients who had OME or VT in the implanted ear at the time of surgery were included in the study. Perioperative findings, complication status, revision status, and reasons for revision were recorded.

A total of 2945 ears were operated for cochlear implantation during this period. Of these cases, 169 (5.7 %) had OME and 55 (1.86 %) had VT at time of surgery (180 patients). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding demographic parameters and follow-up time. None of the investigated parameters showed any significant differences between the two groups, except for revision status. The revision rate was significantly higher in the OME group than that in the VT group (10.65 % vs. null, p = 0.008). The total non-OME and non-VT patient cohort had a significantly lower revision rates than the OME group (5.29 % vs. 10.65 %, p = 0.003).

There is no significant difference in surgical difficulty and perioperative complications after CI between patients with VT and those with OME. The relationship between a higher rate of revision and OME in CI patients, and the optimal timing and necessity of VT insertion prior to CI surgery, should be further investigated.