Self-Report of Cochlear Implant Use and Satisfaction by Prelingually Deafened Adults

OBJECTIVE: Prelingually deafened adults tend to demonstrate smaller improvements in speech recognition after cochlear implantation than do postlingually deafened adults, which has led some professionals to believe that prelingually deafened adults receive only minimal benefit from a cochlear implant. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate cochlear implant use and satisfaction by prelingually deafened adults. DESIGN: A questionnaire was administered to 12 prelingually deafened adult cochlear implant patients to evaluate cochlear implant efficacy and satisfaction. Questionnaire results were contrasted with performance on speech recognition tasks. RESULTS: Although these patients demonstrated little or no improvements in speech recognition 12 mo postoperatively, most patients reported that they used their device regularly, that they were satisfied with their device, and that using the cochlear implant improved both their expressive and receptive communication skills. CONCLUSIONS: Procedures other than traditional speech recognition measures should be used to evaluate cochlear implant benefit, particularly with prelingually deafened adults.