Patients who experience extensive hearing loss due to hearing nerve damage can regain hearing through the use of a cochlear implant. A cochlear implant is a device that is surgically inserted behind the ear and emits electrical signals that stimulate the hearing nerve. Since 1985, over 40,000 people throughout the world have had cochlear implant surgery, explain medical experts with the University of Miami School of Medicine. Patients considering cochlear implant surgery should discuss potential complications with a medical professional before having this surgery performed.
Facial Nerve Injury
During cochlear implant surgery, a patient's facial nerve can be inadvertently damaged or severed, warn health professionals with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The facial nerve controls muscle and tissue function across the face. Inflammation or injury to this nerve can cause facial numbness, tingling, drooping or paralysis in affected patients. If the facial nerve is severed, this cochlear implant surgery complication can lead to permanent facial distortion.
Meningitis
Meningitis can occur as a complication of cochlear implant surgery. Though this rare complication affects fewer than one in 1000 patients, meningitis can be life-threatening, warns an August 2007 article in "ENTToday," a publication of the Triological Society. Meningitis is an infection of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of meningitis can include severe fatigue, headache, fever and neck pain or stiffness. Patients who exhibit any of these symptoms after receiving a cochlear implant should seek immediate medical care.
Tinnitus or Vertigo
After receiving a cochlear implant, patients can experience tinnitus or vertigo complications, explains the FDA. Tinnitus is a complication characterized by an unusual, disruptive buzzing or ringing sound within the treated ear. Patients with vertigo can experience sporadic episodes of dizziness that make it difficult for them to remain upright and stable while standing or walking.
Altered Taste Sensations
Receipt of a cochlear implant can cause taste sensation complications following surgery. Affected patients can develop an unusual or unpleasant metallic taste within their mouth, warn University of Miami School of Medicine health professionals. These abnormal taste sensations can affect the way certain foods taste and may cause decreased appetite in affected patients.
Residual Hearing Loss
Prior to cochlear implant surgery, a patient may retain some ability to hear out of the affected ear. Once the cochlear implant is placed, patients typically lose all residual hearing in the treated ear, reports the University of Miami Medical Center. Residual hearing loss is permanent and may be problematic if a patient decides to have his cochlear implant removed.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage
Approximately 1 percent of patients who have cochlear implant surgery experience cerebrospinal fluid leakage as a complication of this procedure, according to medical experts at the University of California San Francisco Douglas Grant Cochlear Implant Center. Additional surgery may be required to repair the leakage point.
References
- University of Miami School or Medicine: What Risks and Complications are Associated with Cochlear Implant Surgery?
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Cochlear Implants - Benefits and Risks of Cochlear Implants
- "ENTToday;" Cochlear Implant Complications are Rare But Can be Lethal; Alice Goodman; August 2007
- UCSF Douglas Grant Cochlear Implant Center: Possible Complications During or After Surgery
- "Otolaryngoology - Head and Neck Surgery;" Cochlear Implant Complications; Dr. George Hashisaki and Dr. Alessandro de Alarcon; August 2002
