Improved residual hearing preservation using peri-operative minocycline during cochlear implantation.

Objective: To determine whether peri-operative minocycline improves preservation of residual hearing in adult patients undergoing cochlear implantation.

Methods: Retrospective age, gender matched study design. Methods: Tertiary/quaternary referral centre. Methods: Nine patients undergoing cochlear implantation who received minocycline peri-operatively and a historical control group of nine matched patients who did not receive minocycline. Methods: Minocycline 200mg orally pre-operatively and 100mg daily post-operatively for ten days. Methods: Change in residual hearing thresholds at 250 and 500 Hz.

Results: The average loss of residual hearing at 250 Hz post-cochlear implant for those who had not received minocycline was 18.9 dB (SD 12.2) compared to 16.7 dB (SD 15.0) for those who had received peri-operative minocycline (p-value 0.77). The average loss of residual hearing at 500 Hz post-cochlear implant for those who had not received minocycline was 24.4 dB (SD 15.9) compared to 19.4 dB (SD 14.3) for those who had received minocycline (p-value 0.48). Two patients who did not receive minocycline lost all residual hearing at both 250 Hz and 500 Hz post-implantation and only one patient who had received minocycline lost all residual hearing at 500 Hz.

Conclusions: The neuroprotective effect of minocycline may help to preserve residual hearing post-cochlear implant. Further studies are warranted.