gms | German Medical Science

Preoperative testing of residual hearing during selection of patients for cochlear implantation aims to assess whether they are likely to benefit more from a cochlear implant than from hearing aids. Stages in the process include: confirmation that the hearing loss is genuine and has been quantified correctly; assessment of the site of lesion (cochlea, auditory nerve, central auditory pathways); assessment of any additional middle-ear involvement; assessment of response to electrical stimulation.

Objective measures that may be used in the preoperative phase include: tympanometry and acoustic reflex tests, otoacoustic emissions, auditory evoked potentials (threshold ABR, diagnostic ABR, middle-latency and late potentials), promontory stimulation tests. Vestibular function testing may also be undertaken.

The objectives of the presentation are to review objective procedures used in candidate selection. The review will include results of a survey of cochlear implant clinics concerning their use of objective measures for this purpose.

Conclusions will be drawn concerning existing practice in this area and recommendations for good practice in future.