Mahtani et al (2014) report that the experience of some 30 adults (32 ears) who had re-implantation of their cochlear implants (CI) due to device failure for 17 patients, infection for 4 patients, pain for 2 patients, change to multi-channel device for 2 patients, head trauma for 2 patients, displaced device for 2 patients, partial insertion for 1 patient, and unknown for 2 patients. The authors report that as of 2011, there were more than 220,000 CI recipients worldwide and re-implantation does seem to occur for about 5 to 10 percent of all cochlear implant patients.

With regard to the 30 adults reported here, the mean age for their first CI was 46 years (SD = 14 years) and the mean age for the second CI was 50 years (mean duration to re-implantation was 5 years). Mahtani et al report that “it is clear from this study that, for most patients, cochlear implant re-implantation does not have a detrimental effect on auditory outcome. In fact, there were a number of patients who had an improvement in their speech perception with re-implantation….”  The authors state that it is re-assuring to know CI re-implantation is just as likely to be successful as the first CI.

For More Information, References, and Recommendations

Battmer RD, Lina B, and Lenatz T. (2009) A Review of Device Failure in More Than 23 Years of Clinical Experience of a Cochlear Implant Program with More Than 3,400 Implantees. Otology & Neurotology 30(4): 455–463.

Mahtani S, Glynn F, Mawman J, O’Driscoll MP, Green K, Bruce I, Freeman SRM, Lloyd SKW. (2014) Outcomes of Cochlear Re-implantation i n Adults. Otology & Neurotology. 35(8):1366-1372.