title: Toward hearing preservation in cochlear implant surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the recent medical literature related to the feasibility of hearing preservation after cochlear implantation and to identify variables that may influence hearing preservation in the implanted ear as well as the hearing perception outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The published data provide evidence that hearing preservation in the implanted ear yields significantly higher levels of speech recognition in complex listening environments than having just monaural acoustic hearing. There is ample evidence that hearing preservation is feasible and the reported rate is 50-89% in the low frequencies. This rate tends to be stable over time, except for a small percentage that diminishes around 3 months of follow-up. However, factors or variables which influence hearing preservation are yet unknown. Variables such as patient age, degree of residual hearing, insertion depth, insertion speed, duration of profound high frequency deafness and electrode design have been proposed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Much attention has been focused on hearing preservation in the implanted ear. Thus, investigations into electrode array design, surgical technique and pharmacological management have been undertaken. Minimizing damage in the inner ear not only enhances the possibility for hearing preservation and better performance in complex listening scenarios but also conserves inner ear structures for future treatments.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Navarra Clinic, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain bDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, New York University Cochlear Implant Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Raquel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Huarte
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Roland
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000818:Animals; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome