Preliminary study to determine an optimal mode for favorable residual hearing at low frequencies: Full electrical stimulation, electric acoustic stimulation, and electrical complement.

Among the three stimulation modes, EAS produced slightly better results, and subjects generally preferred EAS (five of seven patients, 71.4%). The use of hearing aids before CI was considered an important factor in mode preference. FES may be preferred when CI was performed at a young age and subjects had little experience with hearing aids. However, adults may prefer EC over EAS if there was little or no hearing-aid use before CI.