title: Temporal bone results and hearing preservation with a new straight electrode.
abstract: Due to improved technology, cochlear implant (CI) candidacy has been widened towards patients with usable residual hearing in the low frequency range. These patients might benefit from additional acoustic amplification provided that residual hearing can be preserved with cochlear implantation. To provide a high probability of hearing preservation, a new electrode array was designed and developed at the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover. This 'Hybrid-L' electrode array has 22 electrodes spread over 15 mm with an overall insertion depth of 16 mm. The straight electrode with modiolus facing contacts is designed for a round window insertion. It shall provide the full range of the currently most advanced Nucleus CI system. A temporal bone study demonstrated the favorable insertion characteristics and minimized trauma to intracochlear structures. Compared to standard CI electrodes especially no basilar membrane perforation could be found. So far, 4 patients have been implanted and residual hearing could be preserved. One patient was fitted and showed a marked additional benefit from the electroacoustic stimulation compared to either acoustic or electrical stimulation alone. These results are very encouraging towards a concept of reliable hearing preservation with cochlear implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany. lenarz.thomas@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lenarz
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stover
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buechner
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paasche
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Risi
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pesch
authors.forename: Rolf-Dieter
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Battmer
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013067:Speech Perception; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000601:surgery*