Surgical considerations for the placement of the new Cochlear Pty Limited micro-multiple-channel cochlear implant for research studies.

ing creating a radical mastoid cavity, obliteration of the eustachian tube, obliteration of the mastoid cavity with free abdominal fat, and permanent closure of the external ear canal. This technique has been evaluated for a period of less than 1 year, but seems to offer a real potential of disease eradication. In addition to this procedure, a device for sealing the cochlea at the point of entry of the electrode to prevent intracochlear spread of infection is another consideration. Such a sealing device has already been suggested for cochlear implantation in young children.3