A postoperative audiometric evaluation of cochlear implant patients.

As the benefits of the cochlear implantation become more defined, many investigators hope that these devices can be offered to patients with a lesser degree of hearing loss. Accordingly, it is necessary to investigate the audiometric thresholds in the implanted ear after surgery. Preservation of the residual hearing after implantation would support the claims that surgery and the presence of a cochlear implant do not adversely affect the implanted ear.