title: Cochlear implant in postlingual children: functional results 10 years after the surgery.
abstract: The benefits of cochlear implants (CI) for communication skills are obtained over the years. There are but a few studies regarding the long-term outcomes in postlingual deaf children who grew up using the electronic device.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the functional results in a group of postlingual children, 10 years after using a CI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten postlingual deaf children, implanted before 18 years of age, participated in this study. We assessed: sentence recognition and speech intelligibility. We documented: device use and function and the patient's academic/occupational status.
  
  
  METHODS
  series.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean scores were 73% for sentence recognition in silence and 40% in noise. The average write-down intelligibility score was 92% and the average rating-scale intelligibility score was 4.15. There were no cases of device failure. Regarding educational/vocational status, three subjects graduated from the University. Five quit education after completing high school. Eight subjects had a professional activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that cochlear implantation is a safe and reliable procedure. The postlingual profoundly hearing-impaired children after 10 years of CI use developed satisfactory levels regarding speech perception and intelligibility, and completed at least high school and were inserted in the labor market.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo Ouvido Biônico, Hospital Samaritano, SP.
authors.forename: Liege Franzini
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tanamati
authors.forename: Maria Cecilia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Orozimbo Alves
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult