Cochlear implant indications.

Many centers are investigating the safety and efficacy of cochlear implants in adults and children. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has monitored these investigations, recently approving two devices for general use in adults. In general, appropriate implant candidates have a bilateral, profound to total sensorineural hearing loss, are unable to benefit from conventional hearing aids, are in good physical and mental health, and have the motivation and patience to complete a rehabilitation program. The patient likely to receive most benefit from a cochlear implant is one who acquires profound deafness after developing verbal language skills and is implanted within a few years of the onset of deafness.