Cochlear implant (CI) is currently the only medical treatment available to partially restore hearing to patients with profound-to-severe hearing loss. CI is fundamentally distinct from hearing aid (HA) use, as implants are surgically placed under the skin behind the ear where they bypass the normal sound-conducting mechanism, convert sound signals into electrical stimulation, and directly stimulate the residual auditory nerves. In recent years, CI has evolved into one of the most profound advances in modern medicine and provided hearing to more than 320,000 deaf patients. According to the time of onset, deafness is classified as prelingual and postlingual deafness, and the indications of cochlear implants vary slightly. The medical evaluation must be made before surgery, including the medical history, objective and subjective audiometry, imaging of the ear, as well as the genetic diagnostic. Here we reviewed the surgical approaches for cochlear implants as well as the complications.
Keywords: Cochlear implantation; Indication; Outcome expectation; Speech perception; Speech processing; Surgery approach.