COCHLEAR IMPLANT IN SEVERELY HEARING-IMPA IRED PATIENTS

Introductions: Cochlear Implants are used for the rehabilitation of bi laterally deaf patients. Due to the improvements in speech processing they might be also useful for patients with residual hearing and some speech understanding. Methods: Pre- and postoperative speech understan ding scores in 26 patients receiving implants were evaluated in a retr ospective study. Results: The preoperative pure-tone threshold in the implanted ear was between 80 and 115 dB in the frequency range of 500 to 2000 Hz. On the contralateral side the mean threshold was 10 dB bet ter. The mean score for the number test was 11.3%, for the monosyllabl es below 5%. Postoperatively speech understanding improved significant ly up to 97% for numbers and 48% for monosyllables (tested with the Fr eiburger Speech Test). Cochlear Implantation also benefits patients wi th residual hearing and some speech understanding with hearing aids un der optimum conditions. The speech understanding scores must be below certain limits. General selection criteria cannot yet be specified. Th e individual decision must be based upon several criteria, especially the speech understanding scores in quiet and noise under optimum condi tions. A prospective study is needed to develop generally applicable c riteria.