Cochlear Implant Outcomes: A Comparison between Irradiated and Non-irradiated Ears.

Objectives: Radiotherapy for head and neck tumors is known to potentially induce sensorineural hearing loss, which is possibly due to damage to the cochlear and/or auditory pathways. Since the success of cochlear implantation depends on a functional auditory nerve, this paper aims to study the hearing outcomes of cochlear implantation in irradiated ears.

Methods: A retrospective study of cochlear implant recipients from our institution who had previously received radiotherapy for head and neck cancers was performed.