Cochlear implantation at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a 12-year experience.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to report our experience with different multichannel cochlear implant devices, and to discuss the outcomes of our cochlear implant programme, together with the problems encountered.


METHODS
Cochlear implantation was undertaken in 117 patients (35 post-lingual and 82 pre-lingual cases; 70 males and 47 females) over a 12-year period. Three cochlear implant systems were used: Nucleus (22 and 24), Med-El and Advanced Bionics Clarion. An extended endaural incision was used in 78 cases and a minimally invasive approach in 39 cases.


RESULTS
Complications occurred in 16.2 per cent of patients. All patients showed a significant post-implantation improvement in their perception and discrimination of sound and speech. Better results were noted in pre-lingual patients under the age of six years. The cause of hearing loss was unknown in 81 per cent of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The outcomes of our cochlear implantation series are comparable to previous reports. The possibility of an abnormally rotated cochlea should be borne in mind when difficulty is encountered during cochleostomy.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. prof.hamad@gmail.com
H S
HS
Al-Muhaimeed
F
F
Al-Anazy
M S
MS
Attallah
O
O
Hamed
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification; D003638:Deafness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013065:Speech Intelligibility / Q000502:physiology; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult