The reasons of reimplantation in cochlear implant surgey

Objective: This study examines the reasons of reimplantation surgeries in cochlear implanted patients; correlation between reimplantation ratios and patients socioeconomical levels and surgical methods that has been performed. Materials and Methods: This study contains 62 patients who required cochlear reimplantation surgery after their cochlear implants, and as for the control group,62 patients who received cochlear implants without any need of reimplantation, all were operated in Gaziantep University, Departmant of Otolaryngology. Datas and files of the patients were examined retrospectively. Patients with the same cochleae implant trademark and model were included only. A survey was applied to evaluate patients' parents' socioeconomical levels, income level and living standards. Results: In this study,1487 patients who were operated by the Department of Otolaryngology in Gaziantep University, were examined retrospectively. In our clinics, 66 patients (4.43%) received reimplantation surgery. 58 patients with reimplantation surgery had their first cochlear implantation with surgical method called oblique angle placement, and 4 patients (6,6%) had surgical method called flat angel placement. 994 patients who were operated with Oblique angel placement Technique,58 (5.8%) of them required reimplantion surgery. 188 patients were operated with flat angel placement Technique, 4 (2.1%) required reimplantation surgery. Our clinic's cochlear reimplantation ratio was 5,8% with Oblique angel placement technique, with transition to flat angel placement Technique, ratio decreased to 2,1% revealing a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: It has been shown that the surgical technique called as flat angel placement Technique significantly reduced the reimplantation necessity; also, as the socioeconomical level increases, the reimplantion ratio decreases. Key words: Reimplantion surgery,flat angle placement surgical technique,parents education levels, living space, income level.