Introduction:
Cochlear implant surgery is a well established procedure for enhancing the communication
and quality of life in the patients with profoundly compromised hearing. The surgery
is challenging because of the fine anatomical details in a narrow field of surgery
and risk of injuring many vital structures.
aiming at Studying the alignment between the basal turn of the cochlea and the horizontal
segment of the petrous internal carotid artery and its reliability in predicting round
window accessibility in cochlear implant patients.
Methods:
Comparing the radiological and surgical findings in fifty patients of the Cochlear
Implant Program (CIP) in a tertiary cochlear implant center who underwent CI surgery
within the period from January 2015 to January, 2016.
Results:
There was strong correlation between the imaging findings as regard alignment between
the basal turn of the cochlea and the petrous carotid artery and the intraoperative
orientation and accessibility of the round window.
Conclusion:
Preoperative imaging before CI surgery is important, particularly when done according
to ideal standards. Studying the alignment between the basal turn of the cochlea and
the horizontal segment of the petrous carotid canal is a reliable method for predicting
the intraoperative orientation of the round window.