The article is devoted to the study of impedance field telemetry at the rehabilitation stage of cochlear implantation. The technology was developed in 2012 as an additional protocol to implant telemetry. Its task is to identify defects in the cochlear implant electrode array insertion during surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To determine a practical benefit from using this technology at the rehabilitation stage of cochlear implantation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cases of 100 patients from 10 months to 74 years old, Δ=17±8.6 years, who underwent a rehabilitation course or the speech processor exchange at the St. Petersburg Research Institute of ENT in 2025 were prospectively studied. All patients had a MedEl cochlear implant with a straight type of electrode array: standard (n=69), flex-soft (n=31). Objectives of the study: to assess the correspondence between the standard implant telemetry and the impedance field telemetry heat maps; to identify additional information when analyzing heat maps; to determine indications for using the technology at the rehabilitation stage of cochlear implantation.

RESULTS

: In all (100%) cases, impedance field telemetry heat maps served as a convenient graphical representation of the data, an additional opportunity appeared to evaluate each of the system contacts for all possible stimulation options. In 18 patients (18%), additional information had clinical significance and influenced the specialist’s decision-making, which is illustrated by clinical examples of three patients.

CONCLUSIONS

: Impedance field telemetry is an informative and convenient diagnostic method, both intraoperatively and at the rehabilitation stage. Heat maps do not completely replace classical telemetry, but they help to obtain additional information, which is of clinical significance in some cases. The method should be used in conjunction with implant telemetry in complex or ambiguous situations.