title: An illuminated retractor for minimal access surgery in cochlear implantation: How we do it.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Use of a Langenback retractor with an Ultrathin™ Lightmat(®) light source can adequately illuminate the entire surgical field inside the subperiosteal pocket and facilitate ease of surgery and safer drilling.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Minimal access surgery for cochlear implantation has become widely accepted as it reduces surgical time and morbidity. Adequate illumination is required when drilling a bony recess for the receiver-stimulator package within a subperiosteal pocket.
  
  
  METHODS
  An Ultrathin™ Lightmat(®) adhesive strip was attached to the Langenback retractor used for retraction of the wound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No adverse effects or surgical complications associated with the use of the Lightmat(®) occurred. It was particularly helpful in the bony dissection to the dura often needed in paediatric cochlear implantation.
authors.affiliation: Auditory Implant Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Guy's and St Thomas Hospitals, London, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riskalla
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Alec Fitzgerald
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult