title: Cochlear implant assessment and candidacy for children with partial hearing.
abstract: Children who have partial hearing (PH) in the low frequencies and profound sensorineural hearing loss in the high frequencies can present a challenge to cochlear implant (CI) teams in terms of referral, assessment, and candidacy. Neither clinical criteria nor optimal timing for implantation has been explored in the literature. Data from both the Hearing Implant Centres of Birmingham Children's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital indicate that it is clinically appropriate to implant children with PH; they perform better with CIs than with hearing aids, even if their hearing is not fully preserved. We have also found that children need early access to high frequency sound in order to reach their full potential.
authors.affiliation: a St Thomas' Hospital Hearing Implant Centre , London , UK.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: b The Midlands Hearing Implant Programme - Children's Service , Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust , Birmingham , UK.
authors.forename: Marette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ambler
authors.affiliation: b The Midlands Hearing Implant Programme - Children's Service , Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust , Birmingham , UK.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanvey
authors.affiliation: a St Thomas' Hospital Hearing Implant Centre , London , UK.
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: a St Thomas' Hospital Hearing Implant Centre , London , UK.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: b The Midlands Hearing Implant Programme - Children's Service , Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust , Birmingham , UK.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maggs
authors.affiliation: b The Midlands Hearing Implant Programme - Children's Service , Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust , Birmingham , UK.
authors.forename: Konstance
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tzifa
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Atraumatic surgery; Borderline candidates; Cochlear implant criteria; Early implantation; Hearing preservation; Partial hearing; Ski slope; Soft surgery