Longterm speech comprehension of the Cochlear™ Nucleus​ Profile Implant with Slim-Modiolar-Electrode (CI532)

Objectives

The Nucleus Profile implant with slim modiolar electrode (CI532, CI632) has been part of Cochlear's portfolio of cochlear implants for some time. The electrode array has a perimodiolar electrode design with the option to preserve the residual hearing. In this analysis we focused on the post-surgical speech comprehension and residual hearing up to 48 Months after implantation.

Methods

Forty-six patients were included in the retrospective study (26 males, 20 females) who were fitted with a CI 532 implant at the Frankfurt ENT University Hospital between 2015 and 2017. In 44 cases, a unilateral surgery was performed, two patients underwent bilateral surgery. Preoperatively, as well as up to 48 months after the surgery, pure tone and speech comprehension audiometric data (Freiburger monosylables) were collected, and a control group with CI512 implant was also formed.

Results

In 54% of the cases a hearing loss of less than 15dB could be detected postoperatively when averaging the low frequencies, which is equivalent to a residual hearing loss. Preoperatively, the median in speech comprehension was 0% (Freiburger monosyllables). Interval showed an increase in speech comprehension to 80% at 6 months in both comparison groups. Speech understanding remained unchanged at 80% over the follow-up period up to 4 years.

Conclusion

Preservation of residual hearing is possible when using a perimodiolar electrode (CI 532). The achieved postoperative speech comprehension corresponds to values of other perimodiolar systems (CI 512 / 612). The CI 532 thus represents a hearing-preserving alternative to other systems.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
24. Mai 2022