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Updated: Aug 23, 2025
Robotic Cochlear Implantation for Direct Cochlear Access
Published on: June 16, 2022
Robotic cochlear implantation in post-meningitis ossified cochlea
Mohammad Al Saadi1, Emilie Heuninck1, Leo De Raeve2
1Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgery, Laarbeeklaan 101, Brussels Health Campus, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
Aim:
To report the experience of an image-guided and navigation-based robot arm as an assistive surgical tool for cochlear implantation in a case with a labyrinthitis ossificans.
Patient:
A 55-years-old man with a history of childhood meningitis whose hearing deteriorated progressively to bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss.
Intervention:
Robotic Assisted Cochlear Implant Surgery (RACIS) with a straight flexible lateral wall electrode.
Primary Outcome Measures:
Electrode cochlear insertion depth with RACIS with facial recess approach and autonomous inner ear access with full electrode insertion of a flexible straight cochlear implant array.
Conclusions:
Intra cochlear ossifications pose a challenge for entering the cochlea and full-length insertion of a cochlear implant. RACIS has shown that computations of radiological images combined with navigation-assisted robot arm drilling can provide efficient access to the inner ear.
