Comparison of Hearing Performance of Children with Cochlea-Implant Reimplantations in a time interval from 1989 to 2000

Introduction Cochlear implantation of children suffering from deafness has become a medical standard. The feasibility of a successful reimplantation in this group has been proved. This retrospective study should compare the influence of speech comprehension by reimplantation. Those patients have recieved a Cochlea-Implant (=CI) as child in a time interval from 1989 to 2000.

Methods In a group of 343 patients, who recieved an implant in a university clinic before the age of 18 years, 203 reimplantation were identified. 138 cases have complete records. In clinical databases all medical, surgical and audiometry datas were analyzed.

Results In comparison of best hearing performance between the first and second CI (123 cases of first reimplantation) in 29 cases (23,58%) hearing performance were degraded with the new implant. In 30 cases (24,39%) it was equal; in 64 cases (52,03%) the hearing performance improved with the second CI.

Hearing performance was degraded in 6 of 12 cases after second reimplantation (50%), in 4 cases (33,33%) remained stable; in 2 cases (16,67%) improved.

Hearing performance after third reimplantation was improved in 2 of 3 cases and in one case remained stable.

The mean application time of the first CI until reimplantation were 10,74 years (0,42 to 26,25 years); of second CI 5,32 years (0,83 to 11,75 years); of third CI 10,75 years (1,58 to 18,17 years).

In 138 reimplantation-cases 99 ones recieved a new implant-technology. In 23 cases the same CI-type were implanted again. In 16 cases another type of Implant of the same generation were reimplanted.

Conclusions Hearing performance in most cases of reimplantations were constant or even improved. Analysis of the factors which influence the hearing performance would be the next step.

Poster-PDF A-1825.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020