Device Survival After Pediatric Cochlear Implant Surgery: A 15-Year Single-Center Retrospective Analysis

To evaluate device survival and identify risk factors for failure in pediatric cochlear implant (CI) surgery to guide strategies for minimizing failure rates and improving survival outcomes.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on pediatric patients who underwent CI surgery at the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from September 2008 to September 2023. Device survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method while independent factors influencing device survival were analyzed using the log-rank test and Cox regression model.

Among 602 children, the mean age at first CI surgery was 50.3 months (range = 8-155 months). The cohort included 353 males (58.6%) and 249 females (41.4%). Revision surgery was required in 28 cases (4.7%), primarily due to device failure (17/28, 60.7%), including 14 hard and 3 soft failures. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed CI survival rates of 99.1%, 98.1%, 96.7%, 96.4%, and 96.4% at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 years post-surgery, respectively. The log-rank test identified sex, age, and history of head trauma as significant factors affecting device survival (P < .05). Multivariate Cox regression confirmed that male sex, first implantation ≤3 years of years, and postoperative head trauma were independent risk factors for device failure.

Pediatric cochlear implantation is generally safe and effective, though device failure remains a concern, necessitating revision surgery remains. Male children who undergo cochlear implantation at ≤3 years of age or have a history of postoperative head trauma require enhanced postoperative care. This includes avoiding vigorous head impacts and increasing follow-up visits to monitor device function and speech recovery. Manufacturers should prioritize developing more durable, impact-resistant cochlear implants to reduce failure rates and improve long-term device survival.