Comparison of outcomes in a case of bilateral cochlear implantation using devices manufactured by two different implant companies (Cochlear Corporation and Med-El)

OBJECTIVE: This paper reports a case of a patient who has had bilateral cochlear implants that have been manufactured by different cochlear implant companies (Cochlear Corporation and Med-El). METHOD: Comparison of speech perception tests following single implant insertion and bilateral insertion (3 and 12 months). The patient was also interviewed to obtain a subjective opinion on their quality of hearing. RESULTS: The patient reported that their Med-El implant had better sound quality than their Cochlear Corporation implant. The speech perception tests however failed to show any difference. CONCLUSION: Despite no difference found with the objective tests hearing is very subjective and therefore the patient's opinion on the quality of sound is important. It is only a matter of time before other patients are fitted with bilateral cochlear implants from different companies and this information should be collated to allow comparison between manufacturers.