Why the study?
Does cochlear implantation cause electrical interference in a patient with a cardiac pacemaker?
Does cochlear implantation cause electrical interference in a patient with a cardiac pacemaker?
Cochlear implantation appears safe and compatible with a cardiac pacemaker when the pacemaker is programmed to a locked mode during surgery.
May support cochlear implant-pacemaker compatibility; leaves open broader safety confirmation beyond this single case.
The authors present their experience with cochlear implantation in a 22-year-old patient who had a cardiac pacemaker because of complete atrioventricular block. The question of compatibility between the cochlear implant (multichannel Digisonic DX10AE) and the pacemaker (Biotronik Nanos-01AE) was raised. After consulting the two manufacturers regarding the risk of electrical interference, the authors decided to program the pacemaker in a locked mode (VOO) and then perform cochlear implantation. When the cochlear implant was switched on for the first time, electrocardiograms were obtained to ensure that the two devices were compatible. Absolutely no interference was detected. After a 3-year follow-up, cochlear implant performance remains excellent.
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Triglia et al. (1996) studied this question.
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