Pre- and post-operative dizziness, tinnitus, and taste disturbances among cochlear implant recipients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the pre- and post-operative prevalence of dizziness, tinnitus and taste disturbances in adult cochlear implant recipients.


METHODS
A questionnaire regarding pre- and post-operative dizziness, tinnitus and taste disturbances was sent to 170 cochlear implant recipients implanted between January 2003 and March 2009. Seventy-seven patients (41 per cent) responded.


RESULTS
Pre-operatively, 20 per cent of the participants experienced dizziness, 52 per cent experienced tinnitus and 3 per cent experienced taste disturbances. Post-operative dizziness developed in 46 per cent of patients and resolved in the majority of these; however, 15 per cent reported dizziness more than six months after implantation. Tinnitus worsened in 25 per cent of patients, whereas 73 per cent reported attenuation or termination of tinnitus. Post-operatively, tinnitus developed in 12 per cent and taste disturbances developed in 17 per cent of the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of dizziness, tinnitus and taste disturbances reported by cochlear implant recipients necessitates that assessment of symptoms related to inner ear and chorda tympani damage are included when evaluating operative results.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology,Rigshospitalet,Copenhagen,Denmark.
K S
KS
Mikkelsen
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,Aarhus University Hospital,Denmark.
T
T
Ovesen
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,Aarhus University Hospital,Denmark.
C Z
CZ
Swan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D004244:Dizziness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
Cochlear Implants; Dizziness; Dysgeusia; Postoperative Complications; Taste Disorders; Tinnitus