Multichannel cochlear implantation in children with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome

This study examined the postoperative performance of multichannel cochlear implantation in children with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss secondary to large vestibular aqueduct syndrome. Five children between ages it and 13 years who had large vestibular aqueducts confirmed by computed tomography scans underwent implantation of a CLARION(R) Multi-Strategy(TM) Cochlear Implant between January 1995 and June 1996 at Boys Town National Research Hospital. In addition to preoperative evaluations, they were examined postoperatively with their implants on a battery of open-set speech recognition tests at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months following initial stimulation. Results indicated a noticeable improvement in open-set speech recognition within the first 3 months of implant use compared to preimplant performance with hearing aids. All 5 patients demonstrated substantial benefit from their implants, but there was variation among the children in the rate and amount of improvement in speech recognition skills.