Outcomes and Predictive Factors of Electroacoustic Stimulation Rehabilitation in Children With Limited Low-Frequency Hearing

Objective: To evaluate the clinical feasibility and auditory benefits of hearing rehabilitation using electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) after cochlear implantation (CI) and to identify the predictive factors for successful EAS rehabilitation in children with limited low-frequency hearing. Study Design: Retrospective case review. Setting: Tertiary referral hospital. Patients: Seventeen children (21 ears) under the age of 15 years with residual low-frequency hearing who underwent CI using hearing preservation techniques. Intervention: Patients underwent CI using hearing preservation techniques, and the postoperative audiograms were obtained to evaluate the hearing preservation rate. EAS rehabilitation was applied in patients with successful low-frequency hearing preservation. Outcome Measures: Improvements in speech perception in both quiet and noise conditions were compared between the EAS mode and the CI-only mode. The predictive factors for successful EAS rehabilitation in children were analyzed. Results: Functional low-frequency residual hearing less than or equal to 85dB at 250 and 500 Hz was achieved postoperatively in six of 21 ears, and successful EAS rehabilitation was possible in nine of 21 ears. Better speech perception scores were observed in quiet conditions using the EAS mode compared with the CI-only mode, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. Significantly, better scores were observed in noise conditions with the EAS mode compared with the CI-only mode. Postoperative low-frequency pure-tone average was the only significant predictive factor of successful EAS rehabilitation. Conclusion: CI surgery using hearing preservation techniques with EAS rehabilitation should be performed in children, even in patients with limited residual hearing, to improve auditory outcomes.