OTOPLAN, Cochlear Implant, and Far-Advanced Otosclerosis: Could the Use of Software Improve the Surgical Final Indication?

Cochlear implant surgery in far-advanced otosclerosis can be challenging due to the degenerative process that affects the cochlea. We used OTOPLAN® to plan and define the details of surgery in a patient with such severe alteration of the cochlea that cochlear implant could be contraindicated. A 73-year-old man affected by bilateral far-advanced otosclerosis, previously treated by bilateral stapedotomy, presented 0% of speech discrimination using bilateral hearing aids. A unilateral cochlear implant was planned. The patient underwent radiologic investigation pre-surgery with temporal bone computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and OTOPLAN. Radiology confirmed bilaterally advanced signs of fenestral and cochlear otosclerosis with large osteolytic cavities along the whole cochlea leading to the mixture of endolymph and perilymph. The OTOPLAN identified the alteration of the cochlea in detail. Based on the results of the software, we used a perimodiolar implant on the left ear. No intraoperative or post-operative surgical complications were observed. The patient was checked 6 months after surgery, he did not refer any problems and obtained 75% of speech discrimination at 65 dB. Our case suggests that OTOPLAN is a useful tool in far-advanced otosclerosis because careful planning of the surgery can positively affect the results. Despite the complexity of the anatomy, the software exactly described the real intrasurgical finding. We think that the use of OTOPLAN might improve the surgical indication.