The aims of this study were to verify whether cochlear implants helped profoundly deaf adults to maintain or even to develop their professional occupations, and to identify other elements that may contribute to or, on the contrary, impede such patients' professional success. All adult patients received a questionnaire concerning their professional activities before and after implantation. Demographic data, health information, hearing performance and degree of satisfaction with the implant were also considered. Sixty-seven adults had been implanted, with three different devices, since 1985. At the time of implantation, 34 had been professionally active. After implantation, 29 had remained professionally active, four of whom reported positive developments in their careers. Five patients had become professionally inactive. Those patients who had previously been professionally inactive remained so. There had been no difference in performance, either between different types of cochlear implants or between professionally active or inactive patients. The implanted patients had kept their jobs and many of them had developed their professional skills. In spite of this, cochlear implants may still be perceived as proving insufficiently satisfactory hearing to enable professionally inactive patients to reintegrate and to facilitate further learning or career developments.