Single Intravenous High Dose Administration of Prednisolone Has No Influence on Postoperative Impedances in the Majority of Cochlear Implant Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effect of prednisolone on the impedances after cochlear implantation. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: A total of 130 patients underwent cochlear implantation with a Med-El Flex28 synchrony device between 2012 and 2016 and met the inclusion criteria. Only patients with full datasets regarding impedance measurements perioperatively, at first fitting (before and after chronic electric stimulation) and at 3 and 12 months appointments afterward were included. Patients (n = 101) received a single intravenous administration of at least 200 mg prednisolone intraoperatively and control patients (n = 29) did not receive any steroids at all. Patients receiving low dose steroids during surgery were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean values for impedances were calculated over all electrode contacts and separately for basal, medial, and apical regions. RESULTS: Impedances increased significantly from perioperative measures to first fitting in both groups. Mainly at the basal region of the electrode array, impedances were slightly lower in the steroid group compared with controls. However, the majority of the patients showed increased impedances whether they received steroid treatment or not. CONCLUSION: The present study shows a slight but statistically significant reduction of the mean value of postoperative impedances at the basal electrode contacts in patients receiving a single systemic high dose application of prednisolone. Less than half of the patients showed a decrease in impedances and whether this decrease is clinically relevant remains to be elucidated.