Age and Incidence of Cochlear Implantation in the Pediatric Population With Congenital Bilateral Profound Hearing Loss
Ashley M. Nassiri, John P. Marinelli, Christine M. Lohse, Matthew L. Carlson- Neurology (clinical)
- Sensory Systems
- Otorhinolaryngology
Objectives
The current study characterizes age and incidence of cochlear implantation among qualifying children with congenital bilateral profound hearing loss in the U.S.
Study Design
Deidentified cochlear implantation data were acquired from prospectively collected patient registries from two cochlear implant (CI) manufacturers (Cochlear Americas and Advanced Bionics). Children <36 months old were assumed to have congenital bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss.
Setting
U.S. CI centers.
Patients
Children <36 months old who received CIs.
Interventions
Cochlear implantation.
Main Outcome Measures
Age at implantation and incidence.
Results
A total of 4,236 children <36 months old underwent cochlear implantation from 2015 to 2019. The median age at implantation was 16 months (interquartile range, 12–24 mo) and did not change significantly during the 5-year study period (
Conclusion
Although the incidence of pediatric CI recipients and the frequency of bilateral simultaneous implantation increased over the study period, age at implantation did not change significantly and far exceeded current Food and Drug Administration (9 mo) and American Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery position statement (6–12 mo) guidelines.