Related Experiment Videos
An outcomes study of cochlear implants in deaf patients. Audiologic, economic, and quality-of-life changes
J P Harris1, J P Anderson, R Novak
1Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA.
Objectives:
To investigate and quantitate the changes in economic, emotional, and health-related quality of life after cochlear implantation.
Subjects:
Nine patients between the ages of 18 and 60 years who qualified for surgery.
Methods:
Patients underwent assessment using four socioeconomic indicator scales administered preoperatively, and at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 30 months, and 3 years postoperatively. All patients continued to use their cochlear implants during the 3-year follow-up period.
Results:
Uniform and systematic improvement in quality of life and psychologic well-being, and a steady increase in mean personal income for the group that underwent implantation, supporting the contention that cochlear implantation is a beneficial surgical procedure for profoundly deaf patients.