Cochlear Implantation: Quality Standards to Ensure Safe and Effective Interdisciplinary Care to Children and Adults in Belgium

Cochlear implantation is a multidisciplinary treatment that involves the surgical implantation of a multichannel electrode array into the scala tympani of the cochlea to provide electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. Cochlear implants (CIs) are designed for patients with significant hearing impairment and limited speech understanding (despite using well-fitted hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing implants, or active middle ear implants) for a unilateral or bilateral moderately severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. A set of quality standards is provided that will help implant centers to provide safe and effective cochlear implantation for children and adults. These standards propose team structures and the minimum levels of experience and expertise necessary for their members, describe the resources and facilities that clinics should possess or have access to, and cover each stage of the patient journey, from referral to postoperative follow-up in case of cochlear implant provision and long-term maintenance.

Cite this article as: Lefebvre P, Lammers M, Demanez L, et al. Cochlear implantation: quality standards to ensure safe and effective interdisciplinary care to children and adults in Belgium. B-ENT Published online April 16, 2025. doi:10.5152/B-ENT.2025.241576