Variability in the Use of Vestibular Assessment as Part of the Adult Pre-operative Assessment for Suitability of a Cochlear Implant Across UK Cochlear Implant Centres

摘要

The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in pre-operative vestibular assessment across different cochlear implant (Cl) Centres. A questionnaire was sent to 19 adult cochlear implant Centres in the UK, with an 84% return rate, and 3 European Centres. The vestibular function tests performed across Centres varies considerably but with the consensus that ENG and bithermal caloric testing provide the most useful information. The study revealed that the majority of UK Cl Centres (75%) feel that when there is insufficient information for distinguishing between two ears and where there is a suspicion of vestibular hypofunction on one side, vestibular evaluation could give useful information for choosing which ear to implant.