title: Bilateral simultaneous cochlear implantation in children: our first 50 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the safety and surgical technique of bilateral simultaneous cochlear implantation in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective case series at a tertiary academic pediatric hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical times, complications, and patient outcomes are reported from the first 50 consecutive simultaneous cochlear implants performed at the Hospital for Sick Children between 2005 and 2008. These results were compared to the same measures in a group of sequentially implanted children consecutively implanted from 2001 to 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The group of children receiving simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants showed no difference in complications, length of hospital stay, or use of analgesia and antiemetics compared with children receiving single implants. The simultaneously implanted children had a reduced cumulative surgical time and hospital stay than is required for bilateral implantation performed sequentially.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bilateral simultaneous cochlear implantation in this series of children was safe and required no significant increase in surgical time and hospital stay compared with unilateral procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. james.ramsden@orh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ramsden
authors.forename: Blake C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Papsin
authors.forename: Randy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome