title: A pilot study to explore the experiences of congenitally or early profoundly deafened candidates who receive cochlear implants as adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the experiences of congenitally or early profoundly deafened candidates who receive cochlear implants as adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight congenitally or early profoundly deafened implantees who had received their implants as adults were interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique. Interviews were conducted in the participant's preferred communication mode (oral/aural, Sign Supported English, or British Sign Language).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All participants reported benefit from implantation. Areas of benefit identified correspond with results from similar studies conducted with post-lingually deafened adult implantees.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Congenitally or early profoundly deafened adults implanted as adults report benefit from cochlear implantation in the following areas: identity, hearing the world, and emotional wellbeing. They also commented on their motivation for wanting an implant and the advice they would give to others considering implantation.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jeffs
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Redfern
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stanfield
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Starczewski
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Twomey
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fortnum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000523:psychology*; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D003638:Deafness / Q000151:congenital / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adults; Benefit; Cochlear implant; Congenitally deafened; Qualitative