The rehabilitation of patients with profound bilateral deafness has been notable in the 1990s for the use of cochlear implantation. In 1991 a cochlear implantation programme was inaugurated by the ENT team at the Timone University Hospital, in partnership with the Public Assistance for Marseille Hospitals, allowing funding for six implants each year. This article presents the main results of this programme. Between March 1991 and November 1999, 94 patients with profound bilateral deafness were assessed. Forty patients (29 adults and 11 children) were thought to be unsuitable. To date 27 adults (4 with prelingual deafness) and 22 children have been rehabilitated using a cochlear implant. Patient selection was carried out by a multidisciplinary team. It has been possible to quantify the degree of deafness and the excitability of the auditory nerve in the adult, the cochlear permeability, and the motivation and personality of the patients. Postimplant evaluation has allowed us to study the various factors resulting from wearing an implant. In adults, testing was carried out using open lists. In children, education methods were added to perceptive, expressive and behavioural performance to arrive at a profile. The results are presented and discussed in comparison with those found in the literature.