A Literature Review on Cochlear Implant Activation: From Weeks to Hours

Abstract

Objectives: The present literature review discusses the chronological evolution of Cochlear Implant (CI) activation and its definition among the relevant studies in the literature. In addition, the benefits of standardizing the early activation process in implantation centers worldwide are discussed. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the major databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Embase to retrieve all the relevant articles that reported early activation approaches following CI. Results: The evolution of the timing of early activation after CI has been remarkable in the past few years. Some studies reported the feasibility of early activation 1 day after the CI surgery in their users. Conclusions: Within the last decade, some studies have been published to report the feasibility and outcomes of its early activation. However, the process of early activation was not adequately defined, and no apparent guidelines could be found in the literature.

Cochlear Implantation: Long-Term Effect of Early Activation on Electrode Impedance

“…Classically, CIs are activated approximately four weeks after implantation to avoid wound disruption [ 17 ]. On the other hand, new data indicate that early activation (EA) of CIs is safe, practical, and cost-effective [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Furthermore, authors have recently hypothesized that early activation can be significantly associated with a decreased electrode impedance one month after implantation compared to classical activation [ 11 ].…”