Electric acoustic stimulation in patients with postlingual severe high-frequency hearing loss: clinical experience

Abstract

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to describe audiological outcomes and surgical considerations in electric acoustic stimulation for patients with severe to profound high-frequency hearing loss.

Methods: In this latest series of patients in our center, all patients were supplied with the new (atraumatic) Flex EAS MED-EL electrode. Eleven patients (age 7.62-71.32 years) with profound high-frequency hearing loss were implanted with this electrode, which was designed to preserve residual hearing despite the intracochlear insertion of an electrode array. All patients were operated on by the same surgeon (W.G.).

Results: The rate of complete or partial hearing preservation was 100% after a mean follow-up period of 7.85 months (range 0.95-15.65 months).

Conclusion: This study proves that both refined surgical techniques and atraumatic electrodes are mandatory to preserve residual hearing after cochlear implantation. Flexible, thin, and free-fitting straight electrodes, such as the MED-EL Flex EAS electrode used in this study, seem to most accurately meet the requirements for hearing preservation in electric acoustic stimulation.