Introduction:
We already reported about reimplantations of technical old, but functioning cochlea
implants 2015 at the HNO congress. In a prospektiv study we will report about current
data from since 2015 performed reimplantations of these patients.
Methods:
We chose patients with a speech understanding lower than 30% in monosyllables (Freiburger
speech test) and technical insufficiency like a high need of energy but in principle
working CI device. All patients got a detailed counseling in a technical, a medical,
a radiologic and pedagogic way. By that we could estimate the risk of reimplantation.
On top the patients got a questionnaire about the quality of the supply.
Results:
Until now (18.10.2017) we could reimplant 16 patients who match the selection criteria.
The understanding of monosyllables was in the mean 14,06% before reimplantation. This
increased in the mean to 20,00% six weeks after reimplantation and to 21,67% six months
after reimplantation.
Conclusions:
There is a need to pay attention to patients with a speech understanding below average
and a technical out-dated implant. Technical out-dated means that also a current speech
processor won't offer a technical advance because the early generations of implants
can't follow this technical advance on a technical base. These patients achieve beside
the technical benefits in the mean also an improvement in the understanding of speech
through this reimplantation but there is always the need to pay attention to the risks
of reimplantation.
