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Audiologic Outcomes with Auditory Brainstem Implantation Including Successful Open Set Speech Perception with
Douglas M Bennion1,2, Alicia Williams1, Claire Perrin1
1Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA.
Audiology Research
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) restores hearing in profound deafness cases. Bilateral ABI shows promise, with some patients achieving excellent speech understanding, even in noisy environments.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Audiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Auditory nerve pathology, such as in Neurofibromatosis type 2, can cause profound deafness.
- Auditory brainstem implantation (ABI) offers a solution for restoring acoustic input in such cases.
- Limited data exists on real-world outcomes for ABI, particularly for bilateral implants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report updated audiologic outcomes for all patients receiving ABI at a tertiary institution.
- To evaluate outcomes in patients with bilateral ABI, including high-performing individuals.
- To assess the safety and efficacy of second-sided ABI implantation.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series of sixteen consecutive patients undergoing ABI.
- Single neurosurgeon-neurotologist team performed all implantations.
- Audiologic outcomes measured via sound awareness and speech understanding tests.
Main Results:
- 100% of patients achieved sound awareness with ABI.
- 87.5% of patients experienced postoperative speech differentiation.
- Two bilateral ABI users demonstrated exceptional speech understanding scores, including high performance in noise.
Conclusions:
- ABI is a viable option for patients at risk of bilateral profound deafness due to auditory nerve disruption.
- Second-sided ABI implantation is safe and can significantly enhance auditory outcomes.
- ABI technology shows potential for restoring meaningful auditory input and improving quality of life.
