Cost-Utility analysis of bilateral and cochlear implantation in elderly patients

The Cochlear Implantation (CI) has become a worldwide spread therapy method for patients with severe hearing loss through to patients who suffer from deafness.

The increasing life expectancy leads to an increase in age-related hearing disorders. Especially the elderly patients are in need of their hearing to maintain their social contacts. It might be the case that uncared severe hearing loss can enhance geriatric diseases, e.g. dementia.

The results of postoperative hearing of elderly patients are comparable to those of younger patients, so it can be concluded that age is mostly no contraindication for Cochlear Implantation. It is well known that listening with two ears allows subjects to understand speech better in background noise or in reverberant environments.

Barriers to the use of cochlear implants in elderly patients with profound hearing loss include device costs  and lack of data to compare different implants, e.g.  two step implantation of both ears with two devices  and implantation of both ears with one device (Digisonic binaural).

We performed a Cost-utility analysis from July 2011 to May 2013.

Participants were 26 profoundly deaf elderly patients (average age, 70.5 years) who received cochlear implants, 14 Patients received the Digisonic binaural.

Cochlear implants in elderly patients have a positive effect on quality of life. The one time implantation of both ears with the Digisonic binaural device is extremely cost-effective, generating important health benefits in elderly patients at reasonable direct costs and providing a net savings to society.