The Effectiveness of Cochlear Implants in Patients with Inner Ear Malformation

Cochlear implant (CI) is a surgical solution for patients who suffer from unilateral or bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and is one of the most challenging ear surgeries as it needs a highly professional surgeon to perform it. This is especially the case for patients who have inner ear malformations (IEM), facial nerve abnormalities, cerebrospinal fluid leakage (CSF), gusher, or difficulty in finding the cochlea itself. Surgeons during the operation must be ready for any difficulties and then are required to modify the surgical approach or choose special electrodes according to the IEM. Several clinical studies have shown a significant improvement in auditory and speech perception performance after performing CI surgery for pediatric and adult patients who suffer from severe to profound SNHL in one ear or both sides of the ears. Abstract