Employment of Cochlear Implant in Skull Base Surgery: Our Experience

Introduction: The cochlear implant is the first-choice solution for severe and profound hearing loss. Skull base surgery procedures often require sacrificing the hearing function. An interesting and innovative application field for cochlear implants is to restore hearing function after this skull base surgery procedure. Patients and Methods: In our department from March, 2009 to January, 2013 16 patients affected by different pathology involving skull base was surgically treated plus cochlear implant insertion (in one single step or in the two stages modalities). Results: Overall 16 patients with 6 acoustic cochlear schwannoma, 3 Meniere syndrome, 2 petrous-apex giant cholesteatoma, 2 colesterinic granuloma, 1 facial schwannoma, 1 CPA vascular conflict, 1 glomus jugular tumor. Total 14 of them have hearing benefits from CI, even those cases with controlateral normal hearing or mild hearing loss. One (giant petrous apex cholesteatoma with partial erosion of cochlea apex) and one giant schwannoma had no hearing benefits. Conclusion: Those skull-base procedures, where the sacrifice of the auditory function is required represent, in our experience, an interesting application field for cochlear implants.