Cochlear Implantation for Single-Sided Deafness: A Multicenter Study

Objectives/Hypothesis: To report the preliminary outcomes of patients with single-sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss undergoing cochlear implantation at two centers. Study Design: Retrospective review and prospective data collection. Methods: Patients with single-sided deafness who underwent cochlear implantation at two centers were included. Pre- and postoperative measures included monosyllabic word and sentence recognition in quiet for the ear implanted, and sentence recognition in noise in the best-aided bilateral condition. Results: Average monosyllabic word recognition scores in quiet improved significantly from 11.3% (standard deviation [SD] 15.6%) preoperatively to 48.7% (SD 24.2%) at the 3-month postactivation interval, although they did not increase significantly between the 3-month and 6-month intervals. Sentence recognition scores in quiet increased significantly from 18.4% (SD 28.5%) preoperatively to 65.9% (SD 17.9%) at the 3-month postactivation interval, but not between the 3-month and 6-month intervals. Sentence recognition in noise in the best-aided bilateral condition increased from 59% (SD 16.3%) preoperatively to 72% (SD 16.0%) at 6-months postactivation, though the difference was not statistically significant. Thirteen of the participants reported tinnitus prior to surgery. Of those, 12 reported that tinnitus was improved after implantation, and one reported that tinnitus was unchanged. Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that speech recognition in a singly deafened ear is significantly improved after cochlear implantation, although speech recognition in noise measured in the bilateral condition remains the same at 6-months postactivation.