Retrospective Analysis of Performance and Safety of MED-EL Cochlear Implants. (BELPS)

August 17, 2026 updated by: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geräte GesmbH

Bern Long-term Performance and Safety of MED-EL Cochlear Implants: a Retrospective Anonymized Analysis of Existing Data From the Local Clinical Database

This study is a single center, non-interventional, retrospective, post-market observational study. Data will be extracted retrospectively from the local clinical database of the site and will be fully anonymized. The data extraction is performed as a one-time process. Following the analysis of the extracted dataset, the study is considered complete.

The study does not foresee any active participation of patients or seeking for consent.

This retrospective anonymized database analysis is performed on all MED-EL cochlear implants registered in the local database of the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Audiology, Inselspital, University of Bern.

The aim of this project is to generate evidence on the clinical effectiveness of cochlear implants based on long term real-world data gathered from clinical routine across a large and diverse population.

Assessed performance outcome measures include word test in quiet results, speech perception in noise results, and patient related outcome measures/questionnaires, as available. Safety assessment is based on data related to revision surgeries, explantations, reimplantations, and any other recorded device related complications. Imaging data (X-ray, CT, MRI) are not used in this study.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is a single center, non-interventional, retrospective, post-market observational study. Data will be extracted retrospectively from the local clinical database of the site and will be fully anonymized. The data extraction is performed as a one-time process. Following the analysis of the extracted dataset, the study is considered complete.

The study does not foresee any active participation of patients or seeking for consent.

This retrospective anonymized database analysis is performed on all MED-EL cochlear implants registered in the local database of the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Audiology, Inselspital, University of Bern.

The aim of this project is to generate evidence on the clinical effectiveness of cochlear implants based on long term real-world data gathered from clinical routine across a large and diverse population.

Assessed performance outcome measures include word test in quiet results, speech perception in noise results, and patient related outcome measures/questionnaires, as available. Safety assessment is based on data related to revision surgeries, explantations, reimplantations, and any other recorded device related complications. Imaging data (X-ray, CT, MRI) are not used in this study.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

700

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Switzerland
      • Bern, Switzerland, 3010
        • Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Audiology
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Martin Kompis, Prof. Dr. med. Dr. sc. techn.
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Christoph Schmid

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population includes all patients registered in the sites local database who were implanted with an approved MED-EL cochlear implant at the investigational site since 01st January 1996. To be included for analysis data from the pre-operative assessment and from at least one post-operative assessment must be available.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Implanted with a MED-EL cochlear implant
  • First implantation at Inselspital Bern
  • Implanted later than 31st December 1995

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Lack of compliance with any inclusion criteria
  • Patients implanted with either a custom-made device or with a study device prior CE-marking

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
MED-EL cochlear implant recipients
The cohort includes all patients registered in the sites local database who were implanted with an approved MED-EL cochlear implant at the investigational site since 01st January 1996. To be included for analysis data from the pre-operative assessment and from at least one post-operative assessment must be available.
Device: Cochlear implantation
The cochlear implant (CI) is one of the most successful neural prostheses developed to date. It offers artificial hearing to individuals with profound sensorineural hearing loss and with insufficient benefit from conventional hearing aids. The first implants provided a limited sensation of sound. The benefit for users of these early systems was mostly a facilitation of lip-reading based communication rather than an understanding of speech. Considerable progress has been made since then. Today, cochlear implantation is the recommended treatment for subjects presenting with a permanent sensorineural hearing loss. Modern, multichannel implant systems feature complex speech processing strategies, high stimulation rates and multiple sites of stimulation in the cochlea. Equipped with such a state-of-the-art system, the majority of recipients today can communicate orally without visual cues and can even use the telephone.
Other Names:
  • CI
  • Hearing implant

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Word Recognition Score in % correct over time
Time Frame: Outcome measures will be assessed based on availablity of the respective data from pre-operative assessment through the following post-implantation follow-up periods: 6 weeks, 6 months, 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-years and last available follow-up.
The primary objective of this retrospective observational study is to evaluate speech performance in quiet over time of MED-EL cochlear implant users, measured as the percentage of words recognized correctly.
Outcome measures will be assessed based on availablity of the respective data from pre-operative assessment through the following post-implantation follow-up periods: 6 weeks, 6 months, 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-years and last available follow-up.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Speech Recognition Threshold in noise (SRT 50) measured in dB SNR over time
Time Frame: Outcome measures will be assessed based on availablity of the respective data from pre-operative assessment through the following post-implantation follow-up periods: 6 weeks, 6 months, 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-years and last available follow-up.
SRT in noise is defined as the level difference in decibels (dB SNR) between speech signal and noise at which 50% (SRT50) of the words presented can be correctly identified. SNR is a measure of the relative levels of a desired signal (such as speech) compared to background noise. It is expressed in decibels (dB SNR) and indicates how much louder the signal is than the noise.
Outcome measures will be assessed based on availablity of the respective data from pre-operative assessment through the following post-implantation follow-up periods: 6 weeks, 6 months, 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-years and last available follow-up.
Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) 12
Time Frame: Outcome measures will be assessed based on availablity of the respective data from pre-operative assessment through the following post-implantation follow-up periods: 6 weeks, 6 months, 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-years and last available follow-up.
The Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12) questionnaire is a 12 item sensitive and specific measure to assess the impact of hearing loss on speech perception, sound localization, and QoL. The SSQ12 minimum score is 0, the maximum score is 120. The higher the score obtained, the lower the difficulty experienced by the patient.
Outcome measures will be assessed based on availablity of the respective data from pre-operative assessment through the following post-implantation follow-up periods: 6 weeks, 6 months, 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-years and last available follow-up.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geräte GesmbH

Collaborators

Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Audiology

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 17, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • MED-EL_CRD_2026_02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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