(A855) Quality of Life Outcomes After Cochlear Implantation for Single-Sided Deafness and Asymmetric Hearing Loss

Introduction: Objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of life (QOL), tinnitus distress and spatial hearing in patients with Single Sided Deafness (SSD) or Asymmetric Hearing Loss (AHL) treated with a cochlear implant as well as to determine if correlation exists between cause of hearing loss, duration of hearing loss, sex, and age with QOL measures.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing cochlear implantation (CI) at a large medical center. Patients over 18 years old with SSD or AHL were offered CI after FDA approval of CI in this patient population. Data from CI performed for SSD/AHL from September 2020 to September 2023 were used for analysis. Quality of life measure were utilized before and after implantation: Speech, Spatial and Qualities Hearing Scale (SSQ), Health related Quality of Life (HRQOL), Cochlear implant – Quality of life measure (CI – QOL),Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). Spatial evaluation was performed by using SSQ Spatial hearing questionnaire. Chi square and paired T tests were used for analysis

Results: 27 patients were included in the study. All patients had improved speech and spatial testing after CI. Quality did not improve. No difference was noted between age groups in SSQ subsections after CI. A majority of patients had improved HR QOL post CI No difference was noted between young and older age groups. THI improved in a majority of patients (n=14). However, no difference was noted between age groups. No gender differences were noted in the SSQ (n=13), HRQOL (n=15) or THI (n=18) after CI. No difference in SSQ and THI testing noted between SSD and AHL patient groups after CI. However, a significant difference was noted in HRQOL testing pre and post CI between SSD and AHL groups (p=.0253, n=15), No significant difference was noted in any testing conditions based on side of implant or duration of hearing loss.

Conclusions: CI leads to improvement in speech , spatial testing and improvement in tinnitus distress. No differences were noted between SSD and AHL in SSQ and THI testing. HRQOL was noted to be better in patients with SSD who underwent CI.