The Outcomes of Cochlear Implantation in Elderly Patients: A Single United Kingdom Center Experience

Abstract

Objectives: The average life expectancy in the United Kingdom is currently nearly 80 years for a newborn baby with nearly 15% of the population, by 2040, being >75 years old. Hearing impairment is a common disability in the elderly individual, and there have been significant drives to support this population to lead longer and healthier working lives. We aimed to assess the long-term audiological and health-related quality-of-life benefits of cochlear implants (CI) in elderly individuals. Methods: A retrospective and cross-sectional study of patients who received a CI at ≥70 years. Data extracted included speech perception scores, adverse events, telephone use, and patient-reported outcome measures using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory questionnaire with a minimum of 12 months follow-up. Results: Sixty-four patients aged ≥70 years received a unilateral CI. A significant improvement in speech perception scores in all conditions was noted with no significant difference between differing age groups. Glasgow Benefit Inventory scores showed a significant positive impact on patients’ lives and their health status, with no significant difference between the differing age groups. Conclusions: Cochlear implantation is a safe and well-tolerated procedure in the elderly patients with significant improvements observed in audiological performance, health status, and social interactions.

Relationships Between Health-Related Quality of Life and Speech Perception in Bimodal and Bilateral Cochlear Implant Users

“…These results suggest that these subscores and the questions included in them were less relevant to our group of CI users in terms of overall benefit in HRQoL from their CI. These results are consistent with previous studies where the least amount of benefit post-implantation was measured via the physical health subscore followed by the social support subscore ( Lassaletta et al, 2006 ; Straatman et al, 2014 ; Sanchez-Cuadrado et al, 2015 ; Amin et al, 2021 ).…”

Cochlear implantation under local anesthetic: A systematic review andmeta‐analysis

“…Results showed an overall improvement in PTA, speech discrimination, aided free field audiograms, AzBio sentences, and HINT and CAP scores and were congruent with previous studies published from cohorts who received implants under general anesthesia, with postoperative speech perception scores showing statistically significant increases. 31,32 The results of this systematic review show that LA CI can be used in patients with significant comorbidities. and tinnitus in 1.24%.…”

Do Not Go Gentle into That Deaf Night: A Holistic Perspective on Cochlear Implant Use as Part of Healthy Aging

“…This change will increase health care expenditure [ 4 ] and likely force an increase in the age at which Germans may retire with full pension. Therefore, it is important that the aging population receive the health care they need to live longer (working) lives [ 5 ].…”

“…According to Figure 1 , people who receive a CI are equally distributed across age. However, hearing loss prevalence increases strongly with age [ 5 , 7 ], which is not surprising, as its most common cause is related to the process of aging [ 13 ]. Only one third (32%) of people who received a CI in Germany in 2019 were elderly (65 years or older) and only 15% were 75 years or older ( Figure 1 ).…”