Reimplantation with a conventional length electrode following residual hearing loss in four hybrid implant recipients

• Published in: Cochlear implants international 2012-08, Vol.13 (3), p.148-155
• Main Authors: Carlson, Matthew L, Archibald, David J, Gifford, Rene H, Driscoll, Colin LW, Beatty, Charles W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Cochlear implant; Cochlear Implantation; Cochlear Implants; Electroacoustic hearing; Electrodes, Implanted; Female; Hearing Loss - diagnosis; Hearing Loss - surgery; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications - diagnosis; Postoperative Complications - surgery; Prosthesis Design; Prosthesis Failure; Reoperation - methods; Replantation - methods; Speech Reception Threshold Test
• ISSN: 1467-0100; 1754-7628
• DOI: 10.1179/1754762811Y.0000000003

Hypothesis Revision surgery using a newer-generation conventional length cochlear implant electrode will provide improved speech perception in patients that initially underwent hybrid electrode implantation and experienced post-operative loss of residual hearing and performance deterioration. Clinical presentation We present four patients who experienced delayed post-operative hearing loss following implantation with the Nucleus Hybrid S8 device and underwent reimplantation with the Nucleus Freedom or Nucleus 5 device using the Contour Advance array. Pure-tone thresholds and speech perception data were retrospectively reviewed. Intervention Four subjects underwent reimplantation with the Nucleus Freedom or Nucleus 5 device after experiencing deteriorating performance related to delayed acoustic hearing loss. Comparison of pre-revision performance to the most recent post-revision performance demonstrated improved speech perception performance in all subjects following reimplantation. Conclusions A small percent of patients will experience a significant loss of residual low-frequency hearing following hybrid implantation thereby becoming completely reliant on a shorter electrode for electrical stimulation. In the current series, reimplantation with a conventional length electrode provided improved speech perception performance in such patients. Revision surgery with a conventional length electrode should be considered in 'short electrode' recipients who experience performance deterioration following loss of residual hearing.