title: Hearing preservation and improved speech perception with a flexible 28-mm electrode.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to determine the extent of hearing preservation retrospectively after atraumatic cochlear implant (CI) surgery using a specialized surgical technique and specially designed flexible electrode to minimize cochlear trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic tertiary care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive series of 34 patients who had some preoperative residual hearing were included in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent CI surgery with a flexible 28-mm electrode using a round window insertion technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients had at least 6 months of postoperative follow-up including audiometric testing and speech perception determined using the Freiburg monosyllable word test and the Oldenburger Sentence Test in noise. Audiometric testing served as a proxy for the evaluation of cochlear trauma and hearing preservation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hearing was preserved to within 20 dB of preoperative low-frequency pure-tone audiometry (PTA) in 40.7% of patients. Hearing was preserved to within 20 dB of preoperative high-frequency PTA in 35.7% of patients. Overall, a deterioration in hearing thresholds was observed between preoperative assessment and first fitting. Speech perception improved significantly over time after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using appropriate surgical techniques, and electrodes specially designed to minimize cochlear trauma, hearing preservation can be achieved.
authors.affiliation: *Departments of Otorhinolaryngology and †Audiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Helbig
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helbig
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinung
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stöver
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rader
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000601:surgery*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception