Cochlear implant reimplantation

The objective of this study was to determine whether insertion length and number of active channels remained the same after reimplantation of a cochlear implant. A retrospective case review of 170 consecutively implanted multichannel cochlear implants was conducted. Seventeen of these devices had to be replaced. Data were analyzed for the Nucleus cochlear implant users who were reimplanted in the same ear. For most subjects, insertion length and number of channels remained unchanged, but a few subjects experienced substantial decreases. When the whole group was considered, a small but statistically significant drop was noted for both parameters. In conclusion, although reimplantation is technically possible, the first procedure provides the optimal surgical environment.