title: Auditory perception changes after reimplantation in a child cochlear implant user.
abstract: The ability to remove cochlear implants from children and subsequently reimplant a more complex device in the same ear was the concern of this single case study. A postlinguistically deafened child, J.L., received a single-channel cochlear implant 1 yr after contracting meningitis and suffering a profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. After 3 yr of successful implant use, J.L. suffered an internal coil failure. She was then explanted and reimplanted with a multichannel cochlear implant in the same ear. This case report details her speech perception skills with her single-channel cochlear implant, a vibrotactile aid, and a multichannel cochlear implant. Results from auditory perceptual measures suggest that the explantation/reimplantation process was technically feasible with no adverse effects on J.L.'s ability to utilize a more sophisticated device and to exceed her previous performance levels.
authors.affiliation: Cochlear Implant Center, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York, New York.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chute
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hellman
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Parisier
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Tartter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Economou
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001307:Auditory Perception; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013016:Sound; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests