Treating the Individual Ear in Children: Results of Cochlear Implantation in Children With Asymmetric Sensory Hearing Loss

OBJECTIVE Determine speech outcomes of children undergoing cochlear implantation with severe-to-profound hearing loss in the implanted ear and moderate or better hearing loss in nonimplanted ear. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Forty-nine children with severe-to-profound hearing loss in the ear to be implanted (pure-tone average), and no worse than moderate hearing loss in the nonimplant ear. INTERVENTION Subjects underwent cochlear implantation from 2007 and 2017 in the ear with severe-to-profound hearing loss. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Consonant Nucleus Consonant or Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten word scores pre- and postoperatively were compared in both the implanted ear and binaural setting. Comparisons were made between Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten scores pre- and postoperatively or Consonant Nucleus Consonant scores pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS The average pure-tone average for the implant ear was 92 ± 13 dB HL and 55 ± 12 dB HL in the nonimplant ear. Word scores for the implant ear increased an average of 58 (±27) % following cochlear implantation at 12 months and 62 (±20) % at 24 months. Binaural best-aided word scores increased an average of 36 (±29) % at 12 months and 49 (±24) % at 24 months. CONCLUSION Children with asymmetric sensory hearing loss should have each ear treated individually as significant benefits can be gained not only in the implanted ear, but also in binaural hearing.