Abdullah N. Alkhunfur
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Abdullah N. Alkhunfur has a total of 9 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Ahmed A. Alessa
Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
1 shared publication - Ahmed H. Alkhaldi
College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia
1 shared publication - Atheer Mohammed Alshammakhi
College of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 82817, Saudi Arabia
1 shared publication - Hussam J. Alshehri
College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
1 shared publication - Mohammed Abulghaith Shajeri
College of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 82817, Saudi Arabia
1 shared publication - Norah H. Aldawsari
College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11481, Saudi Arabia
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 29 July 2026
- Published by MDPI AG in Audiology Research
- Vol. 16 (4) , 110
Incidence and Risk Factors of Cochlear Implant Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Objective: This review aimed to evaluate the existing literature to determine the incidence and associated risk factors of cochlear implant complications. Data Sources: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus up to 12 April 2025. Methods: The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251012225) on 15 March 2025, and the systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Results: We included a total of 100 records based on 81 studies with 42,167 patients. The overall incidence was 13.7%. Major complications occurred in 5.2%, with device failure being the most common at 2.8%. Minor complications affected 7.8%, with superficial wound infections being most frequent at 2.3%. Vestibular complications (vertigo/dizziness) were prevalent at 12.4%. Adults had significantly higher overall and major complication rates compared to pediatric patients. The mastoidectomy with posterior tympanotomy approach (MPTA) was associated with lower rates (5.4%) than the suprameatal approach (SMA) (7.8%). A significant temporal trend showed decreased complication rates from 8.9% in the early era (1991–2010) to 4.1% in the recent era (2011–2025). Significant risk factors were identified including older age at implantation, inner ear malformations, chronic otitis media, previous otologic surgery, and longer surgery duration. A substantial heterogeneity was present across the included studies (I2 up to 93.6%), and the evidence base was predominantly retrospective in nature, which limits the certainty of these estimates. Conclusions: Cochlear implantation appears to be a generally safe procedure. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution. The high heterogeneity, predominantly retrospective study designs, inconsistent complication definitions, and detected publication bias collectively limit the certainty of the pooled estimates. Standardized complication reporting, prospective multicenter designs, and consensus-based outcome definitions are essential to strengthen the evidence base and guide safer clinical practice.
- 29 July 2026
- Published by MDPI AG in Audiology Research
- Vol. 16 (4) , 110
Open AccessIncidence and Risk Factors of Cochlear Implant Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Objective: This review aimed to evaluate the existing literature to determine the incidence and associated risk factors of cochlear implant complications. Data Sources: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus up to 12 April 2025. Methods: The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251012225) on 15 March 2025, and the systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Results: We included a total of 100 records based on 81 studies with 42,167 patients. The overall incidence was 13.7%. Major complications occurred in 5.2%, with device failure being the most common at 2.8%. Minor complications affected 7.8%, with superficial wound infections being most frequent at 2.3%. Vestibular complications (vertigo/dizziness) were prevalent at 12.4%. Adults had significantly higher overall and major complication rates compared to pediatric patients. The mastoidectomy with posterior tympanotomy approach (MPTA) was associated with lower rates (5.4%) than the suprameatal approach (SMA) (7.8%). A significant temporal trend showed decreased complication rates from 8.9% in the early era (1991–2010) to 4.1% in the recent era (2011–2025). Significant risk factors were identified including older age at implantation, inner ear malformations, chronic otitis media, previous otologic surgery, and longer surgery duration. A substantial heterogeneity was present across the included studies (I2 up to 93.6%), and the evidence base was predominantly retrospective in nature, which limits the certainty of these estimates. Conclusions: Cochlear implantation appears to be a generally safe procedure. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution. The high heterogeneity, predominantly retrospective study designs, inconsistent complication definitions, and detected publication bias collectively limit the certainty of the pooled estimates. Standardized complication reporting, prospective multicenter designs, and consensus-based outcome definitions are essential to strengthen the evidence base and guide safer clinical practice.