Background: Patients with cochlear malformations were long considered poor candidates for cochlear implantation (CI), and surgical approaches different than the standard facial recess approach were used to access the inner ear. There is no previous long-term follow-up of a patient with significantly malformed inner ear operated through an untraditional route and requiring a revision surgery.
Purpose: This case provides a long-term follow-up from the initial surgery, a short-term follow-up from the revision surgery, and it illustrates the evolving classification of inner ear malformations as well as the potential problems associated with nonstandard approaches to the cochlea.
Research Design: A case report.
Intervention: Herein, we report a case of revision CI in a patient with incomplete partition type I, through the round window via a facial recess approach, 18 yr after an initial implantation via a transmastoid labyrinthotomy approach.
Results: The patient had an uncomplicated surgery, and after activation, she noted auditory perception on all electrodes without facial stimulation. A sound field sound awareness threshold was obtained at 15 dB HL.
Conclusions: As the prior generation of cochlear implant recipients ages, the probability of a revision surgery for various causes increases. Cochlear implant surgeons should be aware of the potential pitfalls associated in these often challenging cases.
