title: Late skin flap failure following cochlear implantation.
abstract: The objective of the study was to determine risk factors for late skin flap failure following cochlear implantation. The study design was a retrospective case series. Data were collated from 371 implanted patients over a ten-year period. Of these patients, 1.3 per cent (n = 5) developed late skin flap failure. It is concluded that skin flap failure is a significant, though relatively uncommon, complication of cochlear implant surgery. What causes flap failure and why it should occur in such a variable fashion are still largely unknown, though infection undoubtedly plays an important role. The aetiological factors associated with flap failure and possible prevention strategies are discussed.
authors.affiliation: The Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, London, UK. aarontrinidade@gmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trinidade
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rowlands
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Obholzer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lavy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003051:Cochlea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins