title: Cochlear implantation of solid organ transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of infectious complications and healing problems in cochlear implant (CI) patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy following solid organ transplant.
  
  
  METHODS
  IRB-approved retrospective chart review of implanted patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care children's hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven patients of the more than 1000 implanted during the time period between 1991 and 2014 underwent cochlear implantation while on immunosuppressive therapy after having received a solid organ transplant. Their charts were reviewed for demographic and medical information pre- and post-implantation. The 4 males and 3 females ranged in age at CI from 2.4 to 18.8 years, with a mean of 9.0 years. Postimplant follow-up averaged 3.9 years (range: 0.1-13.1). Main outcome measures were occurrence of wound healing, infectious complications, whether open-set word recognition was achieved, and communication mode(s).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No wound infections or delayed healing, mastoiditis, or bacterial meningitis occurred after cochlear implantation. All seven patients had received at least one pneumococcal vaccination prior to implantation. Five of 6 (83%) developed open-set speech perception, of whom 4 (67%) use only oral communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our series of patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy following solid organ transplantation, none developed wound healing or infectious complications after cochlear implantation. History of solid organ transplantation alone should not be a contraindication to cochlear implant candidacy which would deprive the child of the potential benefits of hearing, including language development.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 East Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Electronic address: bayub@luriechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ayub
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 East Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 675 N St Clair St #15-200, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Knowles Hearing Center, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, 1-240, Evanston, IL 60208-3550, USA. Electronic address: NYoung@luriechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Cochlear implant; Immunosuppressive therapy; Organ transplantation