Results of EAS performed in Japan using long electrodes: a multicenter retrospective survey

BACKGROUND: Electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) has become an established treatment option for patients with high-frequency hearing loss. In Japan, all FLEX electrodes were approved for EAS in August 2023, resulting in increased use of longer electrodes. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: We investigated the impact of this approval on patient selection and electrode choice for EAS and compared hearing preservation outcomes between longer electrodes and FLEX24. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 68 EAS cases (80 ears) treated at 27 centers in Japan from August 2023 to October 2025 and compared the findings with those from 55 EAS cases using FLEX24 in a post-marketing survey conducted at 20 centers between 2014 and 2016. RESULTS: Preoperative hearing thresholds and age at implantation were comparable between the two surveys. Longer electrodes (FLEX26, FLEX28, or FLEX soft) were used in 68 of 80 ears (85%) in the present survey. Patients implanted with FLEX28 showed slightly poorer hearing preservation than those implanted with FLEX24; however, the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Sufficient residual hearing was preserved even with longer electrodes. These findings support the increasing use of longer electrodes for EAS to provide adequate cochlear coverage while accommodating potential future deterioration in hearing.

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Publication Details

Journal
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
Published
2026-11-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/00016489.2026.2744098
Primary Topic
Ear Surgery and Otitis Media
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Results of EAS performed in Japan using long electrodes: a multicenter retrospective survey

Michiro Fujisaka, Hiroshi Nakanishi, Han Matsuda, Hidekane Yoshimura et al.
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
Ear Surgery and Otitis Media
article

Results of EAS performed in Japan using long electrodes: a multicenter retrospective survey

Michiro Fujisaka, Hiroshi Nakanishi, Han Matsuda, Hidekane Yoshimura, Tadao Yoshida, Shuji Izumi, Akira Sasaki, Tadashi Nishimura, Kazuma Sugahara, Seiichi Kadowaki, Yuki Koda, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Yutaka Takumi, Hajime Sano, Masaomi Motegi, Hajime Koyama, Takashi Ishino, Shin‐ya Nishio, Akinori Kashio, Kenichi Takano, Shin Kariya, Takechiyo Yamada, Riu Nishimura, 大薗芳之, Masato Teraoka, Chikako Shinkawa, Shin‐ichi Usami, Norio Yamamoto, Yasuhiro Arai, Ryohei Akiyoshi, Katsumi Doi, Yoshiyuki Kawashima, Masaya Konishi, Takema Sakoda, Juichi Ito, Satoshi Iwasaki, Atsushi Kawano, Hidehiko Takeda, 正幸 古川, Nobuhiro Nishiyama, Shinichi Goto, Teppei Noda, Minoru Hara, Hiroaki Sato, Koichiro Wasano, Masahiro Takahashi
article en

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) has become an established treatment option for patients with high-frequency hearing loss. In Japan, all FLEX electrodes were approved for EAS in August 2023, resulting in increased use of longer electrodes. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: We investigated the impact of this approval on patient selection and electrode choice for EAS and compared hearing preservation outcomes between longer electrodes and FLEX24. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 68 EAS cases (80 ears) treated at 27 centers in Japan from August 2023 to October 2025 and compared the findings with those from 55 EAS cases using FLEX24 in a post-marketing survey conducted at 20 centers between 2014 and 2016. RESULTS: Preoperative hearing thresholds and age at implantation were comparable between the two surveys. Longer electrodes (FLEX26, FLEX28, or FLEX soft) were used in 68 of 80 ears (85%) in the present survey. Patients implanted with FLEX28 showed slightly poorer hearing preservation than those implanted with FLEX24; however, the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Sufficient residual hearing was preserved even with longer electrodes. These findings support the increasing use of longer electrodes for EAS to provide adequate cochlear coverage while accommodating potential future deterioration in hearing.

Acta Oto-Laryngologica
University of Fukui (JP), Yamagata University (JP), Hiroshima University (JP), Kansai Medical University (JP), Tokai University (JP), Hamamatsu University (JP), Kyushu University (JP), Hyogo Medical University (JP), Shinshu University (JP), Sapporo Medical University (JP), University of Tsukuba (JP), Hirosaki University (JP), Tokyo Medical University (JP), Okayama University (JP), Gunma University (JP), Yamaguchi University (JP), Iwate Medical University (JP), Kyoto University (JP), Hamamatsu University School of Medicine (JP), Juntendo University (JP), Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center (JP), Shiga General Hospital (JP), Mita Hospital (JP), Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital (JP), Toranomon Hospital (JP), University of Toyama (JP), Ehime University (JP), Nagasaki University (JP), Osaka Metropolitan University (JP), Institute of Science Tokyo (JP), Rinku General Medical Center (JP), Nagoya University (JP), Kitasato University (JP), Nara Medical University (JP), Niigata University (JP), The University of Tokyo (JP), Saitama Medical University (JP), Yokohama City University (JP), Kindai University (JP), The University of Osaka (JP)
Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Ear Surgery and Otitis Media
DOISourceOpenAlex
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