Hearing and Life Quality Assessment in Post-Language Patients Following Cochlear Implant

Guilherme Machado de  Carvalho; Walter Adriano  Bianchini; Luciane  Calonga; Jorge Rizzato  Paschoal; Arthur Menino  Castilho; Sílvia Badur  Curi; Alexandre Caixeta  Guimarães; Raquel Andrade  Lauria; Giselle de Martin  Truzzi

doi:10.4236/oalib.1102178

Giselle de Martin Truzzi, Raquel Andrade Lauria, Alexandre Caixeta Guimarães, Sílvia Badur Curi, Arthur Menino Castilho, Jorge Rizzato Paschoal, Luciane Calonga, Walter Adriano Bianchini, Guilherme Machado de Carvalho^*

Abstract: Introduction: Hearing loss affects millions of people worldwide, leading some of those to economic impairment, social segregation, and a worse quality of life. Cochlear implants have shown advantages over other treatment alternatives, for it provides considerable hearing gains and therefore greater social interaction possibilities to the affected individuals. Objectives: Speech perception testing and the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL) are used to assess the hearing outcomes and the quality of life of post-lingual patients with severe/profound bilateral neurosensorial hearing loss treated with cochlear implant (Medel). Methods: Speech perception tests are applied to selected subjects prior to and following the cochlear implant using Med-EL CI; the questionnaires assessing quality of life are answered afterwards. Results: There is an improvement in the audiometric thresholds, and the patients present a good quality of life after cochlear implant. Conclusion: The evaluation of these subjects permits to conclude that there are improvements in hearing, and that patients perceive their quality of life to be good after being subjected to cochlear implant.

Keywords: Cochlear Implants, Satisfaction, Quality of Life, Hearing Loss

Cite this paper: Truzzi, G. , Lauria, R. , Guimarães, A. , Curi, S. , Castilho, A. , Paschoal, J. , Calonga, L. , Bianchini, W. and Carvalho, G. (2015) Hearing and Life Quality Assessment in Post-Language Patients Following Cochlear Implant. Open Access Library Journal, 2, 1-6. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1102178.

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