Auditory Brainstem Implants in Children: Results Based on a Review of the Literature

after surgery showed that 112 (93.3%) of the patients improved in their ability to recognize environmental sounds and speech perception. Patients with tumors or those with cochlear or cochlear nerve malformations had good outcomes as well. Two of the children did not achieve any sound perception upon ABI activation. The results obtained in 120 children fitted with an ABI showed that the patients globally improved in their ability to detect sounds and communication skills. The phenomenon could be seen both in patients with tumoral diseases of the inner ear and those with malformations of the cochlea or cochlear nerve, although patients with non-tumoral issues achieved better results than patients with schwannomas. We propose that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ABI indications should be extended to patients younger than 12 years old with NT diseases of the cochlea and cochlear nerve.