COCHLEAR IMPLANTS FOR CONGENITALLY DEAF ADOLESCENTS - IS OPEN-SET SPEECH-PERCEPTION A REALISTIC EXPECTATION

The prognosis for benefit from use of cochlear implants in congenitall y deaf adolescents, who have a long duration of profound deafness prio r to implantation, has typically been low. Speech perception results f or two congenitally deaf patients implanted as adolescents at the Univ ersity of Melbourne/Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Clinic show t hat, after 12 months of experience, both patients had significant open -set speech discrimination scores without lipreading. These results su ggest that although benefits may in general be low for congenitally de af adolescents, individuals may attain significant benefits to speech perception after a short period of experience. Prospective patients fr om this group should therefore be considered on an individual basis wi th regard to prognosis for benefit from cochlear implantation.