The Role of Sex on Early Cochlear Implant Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of sex differences in cochlear implant outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Adult patients having undergone cochlear implantation from 2009 to 2017. INTERVENTION(S): Standard electrode length cochlear implantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): AzBio scores in quiet of the implanted ear at the 1 to 3 months and 6 to 9 months postoperative time points. RESULTS: Of 55 patients with complete demographic and speech recognition testing, 36.4% (n = 20) were men. The mean age at time of surgery was 59.81 ±â€Š16.54 years and the mean duration of hearing loss was 26.33 ±â€Š18.54 years; there was no significant difference between men and women. The mean preoperative AzBio score was 11 ±â€Š15.86% and there was no difference between men and women. Through 2 (sex) × 3 (time point) analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), there was no main effect of sex (F[1, 48] = 0.74, p = 0.39, η = 0.02) on postoperative AzBio scores, but there was a significant sex by time point interaction, (F[1.77, 85.03] = 4.23, p = 0.02, η = 0.08). At the 1 to 3 months postoperative time point, women exhibited higher relative improvement in AzBio scores than men (67 ±â€Š27% versus 55 ±â€Š31%). Further, this relative improvement increased and remained significant at the 6 to 9 months postoperative time point (women: 71 ±â€Š22% versus 58 ±â€Š30%). CONCLUSIONS: Sex may play a role in early speech recognition outcomes after adult cochlear implantation.