This review aimed to evaluate the existing literature to determine the incidence and associated risk factors of cochlear implant complications. Data Sources: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus up to 12 April 2025.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Systematic review evidence on CI complication rates and risk factors can inform pre-surgical counselling and patient selection; clinicians should review the pooled incidence figures when updating consent protocols.
Pooled meta-analytic data on cochlear implant complication rates and risk factors provide the field with the most robust estimates to date, supporting evidence-based patient selection and counselling.
- 01Systematic review and meta-analysis design provides the highest level of evidence on CI complication incidence.
- 02Identifies specific risk factors associated with increased complication rates across implant literature.
- 03Findings can directly inform pre-surgical counselling and patient selection criteria.
- 04Heterogeneity across included studies may limit precision of pooled estimates.
- 05Published in Audiology Research (MDPI) under open-access model.
Cochlear implant complications can be systematically quantified across the literature via meta-analysis.
studysupportedSpecific risk factors are identifiable that predict higher cochlear implant complication rates.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42645121
- DOI
- 10.3390/audiolres16040110.
- Journal
- Audiology Research
- Publication type
- meta_analysis
- Evidence level
- 1a
- Population
- Cochlear implant recipients across multiple published studies
- Intervention
- Cochlear implantation
Primary outcomes
Incidence of cochlear implant complications; Identification of risk factors for complications