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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Robotic Cochlear Implantation for Direct Cochlear Access
Published on: June 16, 2022
Clinical Results of Robot-assisted Versus Manual Otosclerosis Surgery
Sean C Sheppard1,2, Hannah Daoudi1,2, Yohan Camhi1
1Sorbonne University, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital Group, ENT Department, Functional Unit for Auditory Implants and Functional Assessments.
Objective:
To evaluate the functional results of robot-assisted laser guidance in otosclerosis surgery.
Study Design:
Retrospective case-control study.
Setting:
Otology/neurotology tertiary referral clinic.
Patients:
Patients operated for primary microscopic stapes surgery performed by a single surgeon from August 2018 to October 2022 using the robot-assistance or the manual technique.
Interventions:
Primary otosclerosis surgeries with robot-assistance or the conventional manual technique.
Main Outcome Measures:
Evaluation of the audiologic outcome of air conduction, bone conduction, air-bone gap and speech recognition threshold at 3 months and 1 year postoperative. Intraoperative observations, prosthesis choice, and operation duration were collected.
Results:
A total of 74 patients were operated on for otosclerosis, of which 45 patients were operated on with robot-assistance, and 46 with the conventional manual technique. A reduction of laser shots (2 vs. 3) was necessary to perform footplate fenestration in the robot-assisted group ( P <0.02). Both groups had similar audiometric outcomes. In the robot-assisted group, successful closure of an air-bone gap of <15 dB was achieved in 94% of patients at 3 months, and in 100% at 1 year, compared with 92% at 3 months ( P >0.99) and 97% at 1 year ( P <0.48) in the manual group. Air-bone gap closure of <10 dB was attained in 86% and 82% at 3 months ( P <0.76) and 97% and 93% at 12 months ( P <0.61) in the robot-assisted and manual groups, respectively. Both groups improved postoperatively in air conduction thresholds and air-bone gaps while maintaining a stable bone conduction.
Conclusion:
This study reports the use of robot assistance as a laser holder for otosclerosis surgery, which indicates similar audiologic outcomes and no major complications. Robot-assisted otosclerosis surgery is a reliable and safe technique.
