ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to report our experience with different multichannel cochlear implant devices, and to discuss the outcomes of our cochlear implant programme, together with the problems encountered. SETTING: Cochlear implantation was undertaken in 117 patients (35 post-lingual and 82 pre-lingual cases; 70 males and 47 females) over a 12-year period. Three cochlear implant systems were used: Nucleus (22 and 24), Med-El and Advanced Bionics Clarion. An extended endaural incision was used in 78 cases and a minimally invasive approach in 39 cases. RESULTS: Complications occurred in 16.2 per cent of patients. All patients showed a significant post-implantation improvement in their perception and discrimination of sound and speech. Better results were noted in pre-lingual patients under the age of six years. The cause of hearing loss was unknown in 81 per cent of patients. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of our cochlear implantation series are comparable to previous reports. The possibility of an abnormally rotated cochlea should be borne in mind when difficulty is encountered during cochleostomy.
Subject(s)
Cochlear Implantation , Cochlear Implants , Deafness/rehabilitation , Adolescent , Adult , Auditory Threshold/physiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cochlear Implantation/adverse effects , Cochlear Implantation/methods , Cochlear Implants/adverse effects , Cochlear Implants/classification , Deafness/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prosthesis Failure , Saudi Arabia , Speech Intelligibility/physiology , Speech Perception/physiology , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
A survey was carried out to identify the prevalence and the aetiology of hearing impairment among infants and children at risk based on the criteria. Out of 6421 surveyed children. 1256 (19.6%) were found "at risk' for hearing impairment. Children with hearing impairment in this study were found to be 494 which represent 39.3% of the "at risk' children. We found 326 (66%) children had conductive hearing loss almost all associated with secretory otitis media (n = 232). Sensorineural hearing loss affected 168 (34%) children. Heredo-familial causes were responsible for about 111 (66.1%) cases. The detailed causes of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss are presented and compared with other studies in the literature. Conductive hearing impairment was mild in the majority of the cases n = 271, (83%), moderate in 55 (17%) cases. Sensorineural hearing loss was mild in 113 (67.3%), moderate in 32 (19%) and profound in 23 (13.7%) cases. A large scale Kingdom-wide study to focus on aetiology of deafness among Saudi infants and children to find out the extent of this problem is recommended.
