OBJECTIVE: 1) Assess the audiological outcomes of cochlear implant in children with prelingual deafness. 2) Assess the language, speech and voice outcome of cochlear implant in children with prelingual deafness. METHOD: Prelingual deaf children with more than 5 years of aural rehabilitation with cochlear implant in a Portuguese Implant Centre (Centro Hospitalar de Coimbra), from 1992 to 2009, were submitted to tonal and vocal functional gain, discrimination tests adapted to the age of the individuals, auditory comprehension, speech and language. The monosyllables, numbers and sentences discrimination tests (Portuguese European Language tests) were presented in free field with recorded lists using SFS software through the audiometer at 65 dB SPL. The scales CAP and SIR, Portuguese test that evaluates language development (Compreenso de Estruturas Complexas) speech production (Teste de Articulao Verbal), vocal characteristics (Grelha de Avaliao das Caractersticas Vocais -GACV) and a vowel discrimination test were also used. RESULTS: 142 individuals were evaluated with the monosyllables discrimination test; 78.1% achieved 50% discrimination; 41.5% achieved 70%; regarding phonemic discrimination, mean of 76.25 is achieved, median 81.40 and standard deviation 17.87 . 142 individuals were evaluated with the numbers discrimination test; 96.5% achieved 50% discrimination; 90% achieved 70%, regarding phonemic discrimination mean of 93 is achieved, median 98.85 and standard deviation 13.97. 142 individuals were evaluated with the sentences discrimination test; 76% achieved 50% discrimination; 51.9% achieved 70% discrimination. 133 individuals were evaluated with the vowel discrimination test; the results were an average of 97.42%, and standard deviations of 11.04. 190 individuals were evaluated with the SIR scale; 13.2% were scored on level 3, 16.8% on level 4, and 58.9% on level 5. 127 individuals were evaluated with the CAP scale; 28.3% were scored on level 4, 30.7% on level 5, 17.3% on level 6, and 22% on level 7. 209 individuals were evaluated with the GACV scale; 4.3% were scored on level 3, 34% on level 4 and 58.4% on level 5. Complex sentence comprehension test (Teste de Compreenso de Estruturas Complexas) (nϭ100) the results were an average of 61.67%, and standard deviations of 26.5. Speech production test (Teste de Articulao Verbal) (Nϭ171) the results were an average of 77.6%, and standard deviations of 20.85. CONCLUSION:The results express a good performance in speech intelligibility, with a good articulation level and a good voice quality, according to the results published by other international cochlear implant centers.

International Journal of Open Access Otolaryngology Open Access Review ArticleThe evolution of the CI has been notable in the development of the external component -microphone, speech processor, transmitter -with a constant evolution over the years. This same evolution allows us to have speech processors miniaturized and increasingly effective in auditory processing. The inner component is formed by the receiver and the electrode array. The receptor has remained similar over the years, but the electrode array has evolved considerably and we now have several types of electrode bundles available for cochlear implantation [2]. This evolution allowed to extend the surgical indication to patients with anatomical alterations of the cochlea and other associated clinical conditions that previously contraindicated the surgery. Cochlear implantation has thus become the most widely used and consensual therapeutic method in the treatment of severe to profound neurosensory deafness.The widening of clinical indications for cochlear implantation increased not only the number of patients implanted but also the number of new difficulties and complications associated with implantation [3,4].One commonly used division to characterize complications is the separation of major and minor complications. In the group of major complications we have meningitis, immediate postoperative facial paralysis, implant failure, flap dehiscence, surgical removal necessity. In the minor complications we have wound infection, vestibular symptoms, non-immediate facial paralysis and non-auditory electrical stimulation [5,6]. ObjectivesTo evaluate the different causes that led to the need to disconnect electrodes in the patients implanted in the Functional Unit of Cochlear Implants and to verify if there were alterations in the auditory performance comparing with the patients in whom it was not necessary to disconnect electrodes. MethodsReview of all cases of adult patients implanted in the Unit for Cochlear Implantation in Coimbra Hospital and University Center Abstract Introduction: With the evolution of cochlear implantation techniques and the results achieved, the implantion indications increased. The increase of implanted patients also increases the possibility of complications related to surgical technique and the proper performance of the implanted material. The solution regarding some of these complications may be to switch off electrodes.