Benefits of cochlear implantation in deafened adults.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to retrospectively analyze the benefits of cochlear implantation in deafened elderly (>65 years old).


METHODS
Data from 30 elderly patients with a unilateral cochlear implant were included and analyzed. Audiometric threshold and speech data in aided and unaided conditions were examined at pre- and postimplant intervals at 3, 6, and 12 months after activation of the sound processor and compared.


RESULTS
All patients demonstrated hearing benefits after implant and over time with results ranging from very good, good, to limited performance in a few cases. The mean postimplantation follow-up time was 2.74 years (minimum 1 year). Our study cohort demonstrates that cochlear implantation is a successful treatment method for improving speech perception in the auditory alone or auditory-visual mode for the majority of elderly patients. No correlations were observed between postimplant outcomes and age, or preimplant hearing thresholds and speech audiometry.


CONCLUSIONS
Age is not a determining or limiting factor for post-CI outcome performance in deafened elderly patients. Counselling should consider the patient as a whole and include explanation of the risk for a minority of elderly patients who may demonstrate poor outcomes after implant, despite presenting as good candidates before implantation.
Magdalena
M
Lachowska
Agnieszka
A
Pastuszka
Paulina
P
Glinka
Kazimierz
K
Niemczyk
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome