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Sense of taste in patients after cochlear implantation-preliminary study


Piotr H Skarzynski
Marcin Wojciechowski
Magdalena B Skarzynska
Piotr Fronczak

Abstract

Background: Taste is the leading sense in how we determine the quality of consumed food. Proper gustatory sensation largely determines the well-being and health of an organism, and this affects their quality of life.
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to estimate the risk of early taste disorders following implantation surgery.



Methods: Twenty patients underwent a taste test before, 1 day after, and 1 month after cochlear implantation. The taste sensations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter were determined.



Results: Statistical analysis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between individual tests among the entire study group. After dividing the respondents into smoking (n=6) and non-smoking (n=14) groups, only a weak correlation (p =0.043) was found between the results of the first and second examination in the smoker group. However, a statistically significant decrease in the number of saline-sensitive (p<0.001) and acid-sensitive (p = 0.042) subjects was observed.



Conclusion: These findings suggest that people after a cochlear implant may have transient taste disorders. Taste disorder called dysgeusia may be an early complication after the implantation procedure contributing to deterioration of patients quality of life.



Keywords: Sense of taste; taste disorders; cochlear implant surgery; quality of life, partial deafness treatment.


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905