Complications of Cochlear Implantation in Adults

Abstract

We describe our experience of intraoperative and postoperative complications of cochlear implantation in an adult population. Between April 1986 and June 2010, the senior author (A.S.) performed 449 cochlear implantations in two different institutions. Of these, 212 implantations were in adults. The operative techniques were similar in all cases. Complications were observed in 12 of the 212 adult cases (5.7%), of which 10 were major (4.7%) and 2 minor (1%). In 7 cases, reimplantation was necessitated by device failure (6 cases; 2.8%) or device extrusion (1 case; 0.5%). In 2 elderly patients (1%), a minor dural injury with a cerebrospinal fluid leak was controlled during the operation with temporalis fascia grafting. In 1 patient (0.5%), a subdural hematoma was observed after bipolar cauterization of a prominent diploic vein. In 2 subjects (1%), a wound infection was noted soon after implantation and was treated successfully on an outpatient basis. Cochlear implantation is generally a safe procedure. The most common complication was device failure. Although complications in this adult population were rather uncommon, some of them were serious, and an immediate intervention was necessary for a successful outcome.