[The choice between mono- and multielectrode implants in rehabilitation of total deafness in young children].

We underline the necessity to supply a prelingually totally deaf patient with some sound information before the critical age of about 5-8 years, which we had previously experimentally demonstrated on the guinea pig. Multichannel cochlear implant is the most efficient and must be placed most of cases. However, specially in case of total ossified cochlea, single channel cochlear implant is the only usefull. The respective indications of these two different systems are discussed as a function of pronostic preoperative data, cochlear total ossification, and financial considerations. The decision to supply a young totally deaf child with a cochlear implant must be considered as an emergency.