Surgical complications following cochlear implantation in adults based on a proposed reporting consensus

CONCLUSION The rate of severe complications was low and cochlear implantation is a relatively safe procedure. Standardization is crucial when reporting on cochlear implant complications to ensure comparability between studies. A consensus on the reporting of complications proposed by a Danish team of researchers was applied, evaluated and found beneficial. OBJECTIVES To report the surgical complications following cochlear implantation at our centre, applying and evaluating a proposed reporting consensus. METHODS A retrospective file review of 308 consecutive adult implantations in 269 patients between 1994 and 2010 at Odense University Hospital was performed. RESULTS The three most common major complications were wound infection (1.6%), permanent chorda tympani syndrome (1.6%) and electrode migration/misplacement/accidental removal (1.3%). Permanent facial nerve paresis occurred following one implantation (0.3%). Transient chorda tympani syndrome (30.8%), vertigo/dizziness (29.5%) and tinnitus (4.9%) were the most frequent minor complications.