title: Bilateral cochlear implantation.
abstract: Cochlear implantation (CI) is the standard of care for the treatment of children and adults with bilateral severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. Because the ultimate and continuous goal of CI teams is to improve patient performance, a potential method is bilateral CI. The potential benefits of bilateral CI include binaural summation, squelch, equivalent head shadow for each ear, improved hearing in noise, sound localization ability, and spatial release from masking. The potential disadvantages include additional or prolonged surgical procedure, unproven cost/benefit profile, and the elimination of the ability to use future technologies and/or medical therapies in the implanted ear.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Otology-Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, 7209 Medical Center East, South Tower, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. george.wanna@vanderbilt.edu
authors: George B
authors: GB
authors: Wanna
authors: René H
authors: RH
authors: Gifford
authors: Theodore R
authors: TR
authors: McRackan
authors: Alejandro
authors: A
authors: Rivas
authors: David S
authors: DS
authors: Haynes
mesh_terms: D001307:Auditory Perception; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans