Introduction  The exclusive use of a cochlear implant (CI) in one ear allows patients to effectively hear speech in a quiet environment. However, in environments with competing noise, the processing of multiple sounds becomes complex. In an attempt to promote binaural hearing in a noninvasive manner, the use of a hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear is suggested for patients with a unilateral CI. Aims  To identify the prevalence of hearing aid use in the contralateral ear in adults who already have a CI; to determine the reasons why some patients do not use contralateral hearing aids (CHAs); and to analyze the effects of residual hearing in CHA users. Materials and Methods  This is a clinical study in 82 adult patients with CI implants who responded to a questionnaire designed to determine current use of CHA. Results  In our patient sample, 70 CHA nonusers were identified. The prevalence of CHA users was determined to be 12% with a 95% confidence interval of 11 to 13%. About 58.2% of the CHA nonusers reported a lack of noticeable benefit even after wearing hearing aids, and 23.6% reported not having received the option to use a CHA. CHA users had a pure tone average of 107-dB hearing level, whereas CHA nonusers had a pure tone average of 117-dB hearing level. Conclusion  The prevalence of the use of a CHA is low in our study. We attribute the low use of a CHA to either a lack of residual hearing or to a lack of benefit from the amplification.

OBJETIVO: conhecer o perfil residual audiológico dos usuários e não usuários de Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora Individual (AASI) contralateral ao Implante Coclear (IC) no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). MÉTODOS: foram avaliados 18 pacientes adultos, pós-linguais que preencheram os critérios estipulados, respondendo à pergunta "Você usa ou já usou AASI na orelha contralateral ao IC. Foi realizada a análise de média tonal liminar dos 18 pacientes. RESULTADOS: os pacientes do Grupo de Implante Coclear da Divisão de Otorrinolaringologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, que não usam AASI contralateral ao IC, têm perfil residual audiológico médio de 122.5 dB. Os pacientes que se beneficiam do uso de AASI associado ao IC tem perfil residual audiológico médio de 101.25 dB. CONCLUSÃO: os pacientes não usuários de AASI contralateral têm audição residual significativamente pior do ponto de vista clínico que os pacientes que usam AASI contralateral associado ao IC na Divisão de Otorrinolaringologia do HCFMUSP.

PURPOSE: to know the audiologic profile of users and non-users of HA contralateral to the CI in at HCFMUSP METHODS: Eighteen adult, post-lingual patients were evaluated, who met the settled criteria, answering the question "Do you use or have used HA in a contralateral ear of a CI. The analysis of tonal point mean was conducted in 18 patients. RESULTS: the patients of the Coclear Implant Group of the Division of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine of the University of Sâo Paulo, who do not use HA contralateral to the CI, have residual profile in average of 122.5 dB. The patients who benefit from the use of HA associated with the CI have residual profile in an average of 101.25 dB. CONCLUSION: nonusers of contralateral HA have residual hearing clinic, significantly worse than the patients who use contralateral HA associated with CI in the Division of Otolaryngology, HCFMUSP.