[Cochlear implants].

Abstract

Since the middle of 1984, the HNO-Klinik der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover has provided deaf adults with a 22-channel cochlear implant (CI) device of Clark-NUCLEUS. The digital working system consists of an implantable stimulator/receiver and an externally worn speech processor. Energy and signals are transmitted transcutaneously via a transmitter coil. During the prevailing 26 operations (April 1986) the electrode array could be inserted at least 17 mm into the cochlea. The threshold and comfort levels of all patients were adjusted very quickly; the dynamic range usually grows during the first postoperative weeks. The individual rehabilitation results vary greatly, but all patients show a significant increase of vowel and consonant comprehension while using the speech processor and an improvement of words understood per minute in speech tracking from lip-reading alone to lip-reading with speech processor. Four months after surgery seven of 17 patients (group I) are able to understand on average 42.7 words per minute by speech tracking without lip-reading. Six patients (group II) recognise 69.2% of vowels and 42.5% of consonants by speech processor alone. Four patients (group III) can correctly repeat only vowels (52.3%) without lip-reading, but using the speech processor together with lip reading they have an improvement in consonant understanding of 37.9% and under freefield conditions they are able to understand up to 17.8% numbers of the Freiburg speech test.