Restoration of hearing with multichannel prostheses: 10 years' experience

Our Cochlear Implant Program started in Hannover in 1984 and continued from 1993 on in Freiburg. Up to date, more than 550 patients have received a multichannel cochlear implant and 12 patients an auditory brainstem implant. During these 10 years of experience, many things changed, not only regarding surgery but also regarding indications, speech processing strategies and rehabilitation. The aim of this paper is to present the current state of cochlear implantation and to review important steps of development which have always been linked with efforts to eliminate possible pitfalls. As technology is developing rapidly, this review can only be provisional.