Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42165883›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2026

Frequency of electrode migration and other device-related complications in a large single-center cochlear implant cohort.

Julia van de Loo, Ruth Lang-Roth, Verena Müller, Maya Kurzawa, Marcel Mayer, Kariem Sharaf, Louis Jansen, Sofia Kourou, Jens Peter Klussmann, Jan Christoffer Lüers

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Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Julia van de LooMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany. Julia.van-de-loo@uk-koeln.de.
Ruth Lang-RothMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Verena MüllerMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Maya KurzawaMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Marcel MayerMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Kariem SharafMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Louis JansenMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Sofia KourouMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Jens Peter KlussmannMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.
Jan Christoffer LüersMedical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, 50924, Cologne, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundElectrode migration and magnet dislocation are uncommon but clinically relevant complications following cochlear implant (CI) surgery. Most previously published studies are limited by small sample sizes, restricting the ability to precisely estimate incidence rates and risk factors.

objectiveTo determine the frequency, mechanisms, and clinical correlates of rare CI complications in one of the largest contemporary single-center CI cohorts.

methodsThis retrospective study analyzed 1,035 CI surgeries performed between 2015 and 2025 at a tertiary referral center. Clinical, demographic, surgical, and audiologic data were extracted from institutional databases. Electrode migration was confirmed via imaging and surgical exploration.

resultsElectrode migration occurred in 16 cases (1.55%). Affected patients were significantly older than the remaining cohort (56.4 ± 17.7 vs. 37.1 ± 27.7 years, p = 0.005). Time to diagnosis ranged from 1 week to 14 years following CI surgery. Magnet dislocation occurred in seven patients (0.68%), exclusively following MRI exposure. An exchange of an implant with consecutive electrode re-insertion for other causes was required in 53 patients (5.1%), predominantly due to device failure (77.4%). Almost exclusively straight electrodes were used in our cohort (95.5%).

conclusionIn this large CI cohort, electrode migration was rare but more frequent in older adults. Our findings highlight the need for standardized surgical anchoring techniques, structured postoperative surveillance, and future research on biomechanical risk factors to improve CI safety and long-term outcomes.

Indexed as

Cochlear ImplantationCochlear ImplantsElectrodes, ImplantedForeign-Body MigrationPostoperative ComplicationsAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProsthesis FailureReoperationCochlear implantDevice-related complicationsElectrode displacementElectrode fixationElectrode migrationRevision cochlear implantation

Identifiers

PMID42165883

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.