Cochlear implantation is a safe hearing rehabilitation surgical technique associated with a low complication rate. However, surgeons must be familiar with these complications in order to ensure optimal prevention. Minor complications were mainly infectious in children (acute otitis media) and cochleovestibular in adults (tinnitus and vertigo). Major complications were mostly reimplantation following revision surgery or device failure. Only the minor complication rate was significantly higher in the adult population.

Objectives/Hypothesis: This report describes a comparative study of objective voice evaluation using a multiparametric protocol including aerodynamic parameters and linear and nonlinear acoustic parameters recorded on an EVA® workstation and perceptual voice analysis by a jury. Study Design: A total of 449 samples were retrospectively selected including 391 patients with pathological voices (308 women and 141 men) and 58 controls with normal voices (38 women and 20 men). A prospective complementary study concerning 43 female patients and 3 controls is presented. Methods: Objective measures included fundamental frequency (Fo), intensity, jitter, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), Lyapunov coefficient (Lya), oral airflow (OAF), estimated subglottic pressure (ESGP), maximum phonatory time (MPT) and vocal range. A jury of 4 experienced listeners was instructed to classify voice samples (continuous speech) according to the G (overall dysphonia) component of the GRBAS score on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) secondarily transformed in a scale ranging from 0 for normal to 3 for severe dysphonia. Results: It was shown that a nonlinear combination of only 7 parameters in women (vocal range, Lya, ESGP, MPT, OAF, SNR, and Fo) and 6 parameters in men (vocal range, Lya, OAF, ESGP, Fo, SNR) allowed classification of 81% voice samples in the same grade as the jury in women and 84% in men. In the prospective study, 80.5% were correctly classified with the same set of objective measurements. Discussion: The relative importance of the different objective parameters in this type of discriminant analysis is dealt with. Special emphasis is placed on Lya.

Each patient should be assessed comprehensively, and treatment should be individualized based on symptoms, clinical findings, and experience of the surgeon. The authors presented treatment guidelines in an attempt to rationalize the management of subglottic hemangioma and to help determine the best possible treatment modality at the time of initial presentation.