Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T20:22:37.415Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An unusual cause of cochlear implant failure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

D. M. Thomas ,
S. Abramovich  and
S. Rakkar-Thomas
D. M. Thomas*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY.
S. Abramovich
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY.
S. Rakkar-Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY.
*
Address for correspondence: Mr D. M. Thomas, Registrar in ENT, Department of Otolaryngology, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1 NY.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We present a cochlear implant failure previously unidentified and unreported. Following successful implantation and activation of a Cochlear Mini 22 system, a distressing barrage of crackling noises was heard by the patient despite repeated programming with threshold and comfort level adjustment. The implant soon became nonfunctional and integrity testing showed deficient electrical responses and abnormal surface measured wave forms. Investigation of the explant, following reimplantation with an identical system, showed a defective trim capacitor, an electric component of the internal circuit in the stimulator. Paired Student's t-test showed a marginally significant increase (p = 0.047) in effective threshold level and a highly significant decrease (p = 0.0002) in maximum comfort level for the second implant compared to the first implant.

Keywords

Cochlear implant, complications
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 109 , Issue 6 , June 1995 , pp. 542 - 544
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This paper was presented at The 2nd European Symposium on Cochlear Implantation, Montpellier, France, May 1994.

References

Clark, G. M., Kranz, H. G., Nather, J. M. (1975) Histopathological findings in cochlear implants in cats. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 89: 495–504.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, N. L., Hoffman, R. A., Stroschein, M. (1988) Medical or surgical complications related to the nucleus multichannel cochlear implant. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 97: 8–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, N. L., Hoffman, R. A. (1991) Complications of cochlear implant surgery in adults and children. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 100: 708–711.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gantz, B. J., Lowder, M. W., McCabe, B. F. (1989) Audiological results following reimplantation of cochlear implants. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 98: 12–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackler, R. K., Leake, P. A., McKerrow, W. S. (1989) Cochlear implant revision: effects of reimplantation on the cochlea. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 98: 813–820.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liderman, R. C., Mangham, C. A., Kuprenas, S. V. (1987) Single-channel and multichannel performance for reimplanted cochlear prosthesis patient. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 98 (suppl. 128): 150–151.Google Scholar
Parisier, S. C., Chute, P. M., Weiss, M. H., Hellman, S. A., Wang, R. C. (1991) Results of cochlear implant reinsertion. Laryngoscope 101: 1013–1015.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shepherd, R. K., Clark, G. M., Pyman, B. C., Webb, R. L. (1985) Banded intracochlear electrode array: evaluation of insertion trauma in human temporal bones. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 94: 55–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wallenberg, E. L. von., Brinch, J., Money, D. K., West, R., Avunduk, K. (1993) Comparative reliability of cochlear implants. Advances in Otorhinolaryngology 48: 225–229.Google Scholar
Webb, R. L., Lehnhardt, E., Clark, G. M., Laszig, R., Pyman, B. C., Franz, B. K. -H. G. (1991) Surgical complications with the cochlear multichannel intraocular implant: experience at Hanover and Melbourne. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 100: 131–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar