Cochlear implant outcomes in the elderly.

Objective: This study aimed to review cochlear implantation with respect to surgical and auditory outcomes in subjects aged 70 years and older.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Tertiary referral centers.

Patients: Sixty-five patients aged 70 years or older at the time of implantation were compared to a group of patients aged <70 years.

Intervention: Patients underwent multichannel cochlear implantation with either the Clarion or Nucleus device.

Main Outcome Measure: Presence or absence of surgical complications and auditory performance with open-set word and sentence recognition testing.

Results: In patients implanted at age 70 or older, significant improvement in speech understanding was demonstrated in performance scores using Consonant Nucleus Consonant words, Central Institute for the Deaf sentences, and Hearing in Noise Test sentences at 3, 6, and 12 months when compared to preimplantation scores. However, their performance was slightly poorer when compared to a control group of patients <70 years of age in the same measures at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Conclusions: The elderly population showed significant improvement in auditory performance tests following cochlear implantation compared to their preimplantation scores but performed less well than younger patients.