[Multiple electrode cochlear implants : clinical results (author's transl)].

Multiple electrode cochlear implants were employed in 34 patients with total deafness (25 cases of acquired deafness of an adult age, and 22 cases of congenital or neonatal deafness). Complications encountered initially (eardrum perforation, receiver breakdown) are no longer observed, but emphasis has also to be placed on the reliability of the electrode-nerve interface, which remained unaltered after a follow-up period of nearly five years. The advantages of the method are that it enables frequency discrimination, followed by that of phonemes and finally words and phrases, without the need for up-reading, results being variable from one case to another. Results are dependent on the effectiveness of the electrode-nerve interface and the intellectual development of the patient. Only measurable objective results are reported.