gms | German Medical Science

81st Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

12.05. - 16.05.2010, Wiesbaden

Cochlear implantation outcomes in Romanian patients

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author Violeta Necula - University of Medicine "Iuliu Hatieganu", ENT Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • Marcel Cosgarea - University of Medicine "Iuliu Hatieganu", ENT Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • Antonius Stanciu - "Politehnica" University Timisoara, Romania

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 81. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. Wiesbaden, 12.-16.05.2010. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2010. Doc10hnod386

doi: 10.3205/10hnod386, urn:nbn:de:0183-10hnod3861

Published: April 22, 2010

© 2010 Necula et al.
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Outline

Text

Introduction: Cochlear implants offer users a number of benefits including speech intelligibility, auditory perception, and mainstream educational placement for children, psychological well-being, social integration and quality of life. Many studies have shown that some implanted children achieve a high level of speech recognition, whereas other children demonstrate more limited skills. Earlier implantation (up to 4 years) may provide CI users access to the ambient language well within the critical period presumed to be important for the development of a linguistic system. But some of the older implanted children can have improved speech perception and intelligibility and therefore benefit from implantation.

Methods: 54 patients were implanted in Cluj-Napoca’s ENT Department between 2003 and 2009, most with MedEl Pulsar ci100 and some of them with Combi 40. Two patients received bilateral cochlear implant. The outcomes were analyzed in three domains and dates were analyzed using SPSS16.0 program.

Results: The chronological age of implantation is decreased in the last years.

The first five domains of Health-related Quality-of-Life shows statistical significant modification after cochlear implantation, but the most important improvements were in the physical functioning general domain, in the sound perception.

Conclusions: Children with cochlear implants have demonstrated significant gains in audition, speech and language fields. The cochlear implant improves hearing and speech perception and production and also has an impact on self-esteem, daily activities and social functioning.