Simultaneous translabyrinthine removal of acoustic neuroma and cochlear implantation.

OBJECTIVES

To report of a 65-year-old woman with bilateral Meniere's disease was referred for cochlear implantation (CI) due to severe/profound sensorineural hearing loss.

METHODS

During the assessment workup, a vestibular schwannoma in the right ear was found by MR imaging. She underwent a translabyrinthine removal of the acoustic neuroma (AN) with sparing of the cochlear nerve and concurrent ipsilateral CI with a Nucleus Freedom device (Cochlear Ltd., Lane Cove, New South Wales, Australia).

RESULTS

Complete removal of the AN was achieved without complications. Neural Response Telemetry (NRT) measurements, which showed poor morphology at the intraoperative tests, rapidly improved after activation, similarly to electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses (E-ABR). The patient reached 100% speech perception performances within 2 months from implantation, in the monaural condition. She was relieved from vertigo spell up to 14 months after the operation.

CONCLUSION

Cochlear implantation at the time of acoustic neuroma removal with VIII nerve sparing can be a safe and effective hearing restoration procedure.