Subtotal petrosectomy in cochlear implantation permits obtaining a cavity isolated from the external environment, and when needed, it improves the access and visibility during the surgical procedure. Subtotal petrosectomy is a safe technique, with a low rate of complications.

No abstract

Long-term auditory deprivation in the ear to be implanted does not negatively influence cochlear implantation results and should not be considered criterion to reject cochlear implantation.

Cochlear implantation through the standard posterior tympanotomy approach may sometimes be challenging. In cases with complicated anatomy or malformations, an alternative surgical technique may be chosen. The transattical approach is a simple technique based on a mastoidectomy and a transmeatal cochleostomy. The electrode is driven to the middle ear through the attic. This way it overcomes some of the standard technique's drawbacks. Our aim is to assess the value of this alternative approach in cochlear implant surgery. We conducted a comparative retrospective study; we included 74 patients operated by transattical approach and 59 patients operated with the standard technique. Auditory performance and complications at long term follow-up were compared. The consequences of the different trajectory of the electrode in the transattical approach were also studied. No significant differences were found between both groups regarding complication rates and cochlear implant performance. The electrode's integrity was not significantly affected by its different position and angles, when compared to the standard approach. We conclude that transattical approach is a safe technique for cochlear implantation. It may be considered as an alternative to the posterior tympanotomy approach for those cases where this cannot be performed.