• Piotr H Skarzynski, Marcin Wojciechowski, Magdalena B Skarzynska, and Piotr Fronczak.
• Institute of Sensory Organs, Kajetany, Poland.
• Afr Health Sci. 2021 Dec 1; 21 (4): 1801-1807.

BackgroundTaste is the leading sense in how we determine the quality of consumed food. Proper gustatory sensation largely determines the well-being and health of an organism, and this affects their quality of life.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to estimate the risk of early taste disorders following implantation surgery.MethodsTwenty patients underwent a taste test before, 1 day after, and 1 month after cochlear implantation. The taste sensations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter were determined.ResultsStatistical analysis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between individual tests among the entire study group. After dividing the respondents into smoking (n=6) and non-smoking (n=14) groups, only a weak correlation (p = 0.043) was found between the results of the first and second examination in the smoker group. However, a statistically significant decrease in the number of saline-sensitive (p<0.001) and acid-sensitive (p = 0.042) subjects was observed.ConclusionThese findings suggest that people after a cochlear implant may have transient taste disorders. Taste disorder called dysgeusia may be an early complication after the implantation procedure contributing to deterioration of patients quality of life.© 2021 Skarzynski PH et al.

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