Am J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg | Volume 4, Issue 9 | Case Report | Open Access

Cochlear Implantation in the Elderly

Rogerio Hamerschmidt, Debora Emi Shibukawa*, Gabriela Alves Marroni, Guilherme de Oliveira Luciani, Letícia Leahy and Luisi Maria Mezzomo

Federal University of Parana, Brazil

*Correspondance to: Debora Emi Shibukawa 

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Abstract

It is known that hearing loss and cognition disorders are one of the most prevalent affections in the elderly. There is a clear impact of hearing loss on the quality of life of the elderly, compromising social relationships, mental health, motor skills and even the functioning of specific areas of the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, it is also known that hearing losses considered a risk factor directly related to the prevalence of dementia in varying degrees among the elderly. Deafness corresponds to 8% of the potentially treatable-and therefore preventable-factors related to dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. In audiometry, the loss of every 10 dB increases in 1.7 times the risk for the development to dementia. Nevertheless, there seems to be no association between the development of dementia and hearing loss in patients who use hearing aids. However, much of this elderly deaf population will advance in their degree of hearing loss to the point that the use of common hearing aids  will  no  longer  be  effective,  thus  becoming  candidates  for  cochlear  implants.  Age,  therefore, should not be a limiting factor for the indication for cochlear implant. One of the major concerns involving  surgery  in  the  elderly  is  the  anesthetic  risk  of  a  procedure.  Aiming  to  mitigate  this condition, a study conducted by our team at the Hospital de Clinic as of the Federal University of Paraná and at the Hospital Paranaense de Otorrinolaringologia verified the feasibility of performing cochlear implant surgery under local anesthesia and sedation, instead of the more commonly used general anesthesia. This study brought to light the possibility, as well as the need, of guaranteeing the safety of the elderly patient and proved that this management is possible without harming the  patient or surgical management.

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Citation:

Hamerschmidt R, Shibukawa DE, Marroni GA, de Oliveira Luciani G, Leahy L, Mezzomo LM. Cochlear 
Implantation in the Elderly. Am J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021; 4(9): 1156..

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