Auditory Performance Analysis and Evaluation of Quality of Life After Cochlear Implantation in Patients Aged 60 (Sixty) and Older

Objectives: This study evaluated auditory performance and quality of life in cochlear implant recipients aged 60 years and older, and identified factors associated with postoperative outcomes. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 34 patients aged 60 years and older who underwent unilateral cochlear implantation between 2002 and 2020 at the Department of Otolaryngology, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine. Preoperative WHOQOL-BREF data were not available; postoperative outcomes were therefore assessed against demographic and clinical predictors rather than within-patient change. The patients were grouped by preoperative hearing loss duration (1–3, 4–6, or ≥7 years), daily device use (<11 vs. ≥11 h), and age (60–70 vs. >70 years). Auditory gain was assessed by pure-tone audiometry, quality of life by the WHOQOL-BREF, and cognitive status by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Cohen’s d, η2 and 95% CIs were reported, multiple comparisons were Benjamini–Hochberg-corrected, and multivariable linear regression was applied per domain. Results: The cohort comprised 19 women (55.9%) and 15 men (44.1%), with a mean age of 66.06 ± 5.8 years; eight patients (23.5%) were older than 70. Mean audiological gain was 45.5 ± 13.1 dB and varied with preoperative duration (η2 = 0.50, p < 0.001; 1–3 vs. ≥7 years Δ 20.9 dB, 95% CI 12.2–29.6; d = 2.04). Daily device use was a consistent predictor of well-being: those using their implant for more than 11 h daily scored higher across all WHOQOL-BREF subscales (all q ≤ 0.011; d −1.45 to −2.50). Comorbidity was associated with lower scores in four of five domains (q ≤ 0.048; d −0.85 to −1.26), and a higher MoCA score independently predicted the psychological subscale (β = +1.0 per point; p = 0.014). Apparent sex and education effects did not survive correction. Mean preoperative hearing thresholds were 84.3 ± 7.9 dB and 76.1 ± 16.2 dB in patients under and over 70, respectively; postoperative thresholds were 37.8 ± 10.4 dB and 33.9 ± 6.8 dB, with no significant between-group difference in gain (d = 0.32). Conclusions: In this cross-sectional cohort, cochlear implantation was associated with substantial audiological gain and favourable quality-of-life scores in patients aged 60 and older, with an acceptable safety profile. Age alone did not constrain outcomes; the absence of preoperative QoL data precludes direct quantification of within-patient change.