Complications after cochlear implantation in adult patients. 10-Year retrospective analysis of a tertiary academic centre.

OBJECTIVE

Cochlear implants (CI) are electronic devices that enable the auditory rehabilitation and the management of individuals with severe to profound bilateral hearing loss, and nowadays, advanced age is not considered a contraindication for cochlear implantation and several studies have shown that older adults do benefit from CI, with improvements in hearing abilities and quality of life.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of patients older than 18 years who underwent cochlear implant surgery in a tertiary academic centre.

RESULTS

57 patients met the inclusion criteria: 25 (43.9%) male and 32 (56.1%) female. Total percentage of minor complication was 24.6% and major complication was 17.5%. The most common minor complication in our series was vestibular disorder, and the most common major complication was device failure. No correlation was found among age, previous meningitis, anatomical variables or comorbidities with the appearance of complications.

CONCLUSION

Cochlear implantation is a safe surgical technique for rehabilitation of severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. According to our results, neither the age over 65 years nor the presence of comorbidities does have a direct impact over the complication rates in our patients.