Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Preoperative imaging is vital for cochlear implant surgeries, aiding diagnosis, and surgical planning. This study evaluated global practices and the value of preoperative imaging through an international survey. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among international cochlear implantation experts using a 112-item questionnaire. The study explored imaging modalities, anatomical targets, evaluated parameters, and different imaging approaches' perceived value and risks. Participants were recruited from a global consortium of otolaryngology, otology, neurotology, and cochlear implant surgery professionals. RESULTS: Thirty-nine practitioners from 36 centers in 16 countries completed the survey (95.1% response rate). All used computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for preoperative evaluation; MRI was deemed more valuable for diagnosis and candidacy assessment, while CT was preferred for surgical planning. Nearly half utilized additional imaging modalities, with functional MRI being the most common (20.5%). Additionally, 79.5% of respondents reported using image-based surgical planning software. DISCUSSION: Results show a universal reliance on CT and MRI for cochlear implant evaluations, with MRI aiding diagnosis and CT focusing on surgical planning. Advanced imaging techniques may emerge in specific clinical cases. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Modern imaging practices and their potential changes can enhance protocol development and improve preoperative evaluations, ultimately boosting patient safety and outcomes in cochlear implantation.
Source: Otolaryngology
DOI: 10.1002/ohn.1361
Authors: Farid Alzhrani, Asma Alahmadi, Afrah Alshalan, Yassin Abdelsamad, Abdulrahman Alsanosi, Aanand Acharya, Ana H. Kim, Angel Ramos Macias, Bruce Gantz, Craig Buchman, Dan Jiang, Domenico Cuda, Dovile Jankunaite, Georg Sprinzl, Heidi Olze, Ilona Anderson, Ibrahim Shami, James E. Saunders, Javier Gavilan, Walter Kutz, Kevin D. Brown, Kristen Rak, Laila Telmesani, Luis Lassaletta, Manohar Bance, Marco Caversaccio, Mohan Kameswaran, Mario Zernotti, Nicolas Verhaert, Oliver Adunka, Patrick F. Connolly, Paul Van de Heyning, Per Caye‐Thomasen, Piotr Skarzynski, Robert Briggs, Rudolf Hagen, Sherif Khalil, Soha N. Ghossaini, Stefan K. Plontke, Stephen J. O'Leary, Sumit K. Agrawal, Tatsuya Yamasoba, Thomas Lenarz, Timo Stöver, Vedat Topsakal, Vincent Van Rompaey, Abdulrahman Hagr
Institutions: King Saud Medical City, King Saud University, Jouf University, University of Antwerp, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Fremantle Hospital, Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Washington University in St. Louis, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, University of Parma, MED-EL (Austria), Universitätsklinikum St. Pölten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, King Fahd Medical City, Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Würzburg, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Bern, University Hospital of Bern, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Medical University of Warsaw, Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, The University of Melbourne, The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Eastman Dental Hospital, Endeavor Health, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Western University, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital Frankfurt, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, UCLouvain
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,600
OpenAlex ID: W7129071350