title: Residual hearing preservation using the suprameatal approach for cochlear implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cochlear implantation of patients with high-frequency hearing loss and residual low-frequency hearing has become a new treatment standard within the last years. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of hearing preservation in cochlear implantation for electric-acoustic stimulation using the suprameatal approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients (mean age 48.2 years) who were supplied with Med El (Combi 40+, Pulsar) cochlear implants and various different electrodes (Custom made, Flex soft, Flex EAS) were evaluated for residual hearing preservation after a mean follow-up time of 35.6 months (range 24 to 77 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three patients showed partial hearing preservation, whereas 2 patients experienced a complete loss of residual hearing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although hearing preservation rates in this series of patients operated on using the suprameatal approach were inferior as compared with a series using the standard mastoidectomy approach, this study shows that it is in fact possible to preserve residual hearing using a non-mastoidectomy surgical technique for cochlear implantation. Nevertheless, more experience is necessary to answer the question whether this technique can be thoroughly recommended in cochlear implantation for electric-acoustic stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. christoph.arnoldner@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnoldner
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gstoettner
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riss
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagenblast
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Honeder
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blineder
authors.forename: Jafar-Sasan
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hamzavi
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jappel
authors.forename: Wolf-Dieter
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D035301:Cranial Fossa, Middle / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome