title: Cochlear implant treatment of patients with single-sided deafness or asymmetric hearing loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rehabilitation of patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) or asymmetric hearing loss can be achieved with conventional (Bi)CROS hearing aids ((Bi)CROS-HA, (Bi)CROS), bone conduction devices (BCI) or with cochlear implants (CI). Unfortunately, only small case series have been published on the treatment outcomes in SSD patients after CI surgery and there are only a few comparative studies evaluating rehabilitation outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to provide evidence of successful treatment of SSD and asymmetric hearing loss with a CI compared to the untreated, monaural hearing condition and the therapy options of BCI and (Bi)CROS in a large number of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single-centre study, 45 patients with SSD and 40 patients with asymmetric hearing loss were treated with a CI after careful evaluation for CI candidacy. Monaural speech comprehension in noise and localisation ability were examined with (Bi)CROS-HA and BCI devices (on a test rod) both preoperatively and at 12 months after CI switch-on. At the same intervals, subjective evaluation of hearing ability was conducted using the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report presents the first evidence of successful binaural rehabilitation with CI in a relatively large patient cohort and the advantages over (Bi)CROS and BCI in smaller subgroups, thus confirming the indication for CI treatment. Moreover, patients with long-term acquired deafness (>10 years) show a benefit from the CI comparable to that observed in patients with shorter-term deafness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Killianstraße 5, 79106, Freiburg, Germany. susan.arndt@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Killianstraße 5, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laszig
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Killianstraße 5, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aschendorff
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Killianstraße 5, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hassepass
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Killianstraße 5, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Killianstraße 5, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wesarg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001844:Bone Conduction; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bone conduction; Hearing aids; Implantable neurostimulators; Rehabilitation; Unilateral hearing loss