Cochlear Implant Symposium of the American Cochlear (ACI) Implant Alliance (CI 2015)

The principal goal of this conference is to open the pathways between research and clinical application in the cochlear implant realm by facilitating timely sharing of information between scientists, clinicians, and educators. Cochlear implant candidacy and outcomes have advanced reflecting technology improvements, early identification, and better linkage between the surgical intervention and follow-up care. Children and adults with a range of hearing losses and other issues are now benefitting importantly from traditional cochlear implants as well as electric-acoustic stimulation and auditory brainstem implants. Cochlear implant candidacy guidelines have changed to include children and adults with more residual hearing as well as other anatomic, health, and learning issues that would have been considered "absolute" or "relative" contraindications in the past. Utilization of other technologies, in combination with the cochlear implant device, have provided further expansions in outcomes bringing recipients even closer to "normal” hearing. With all of these changes have come a new recognition of the quality of life changes and cost utility made possible when the right device is matched to appropriate patients.