Surgical experiences in 58 cases using the Nucleus 22 multichannel auditory brainstem implant

Patients with bilateral total deafness due to lesions of the vestibulocochl ear nerve can be treated by electrical stimulation of the second auditory n euron. A 22-channel multi-electrode implant with transcutaneous transmissio n was developed that allows the selection of the most useful electrodes. Ac oustic neuromas were removed from 49 out of 58 patients by ENT surgeons and neurosurgeons working in collaboration and using either a translabyrinthin e or suboccipital approach. The central electroauditory prosthesis was impl anted in the same procedure. Six patients were deaf after previous acoustic neuroma surgery without recurrence, three had diagnoses other than neurofi bromatosis type 2 (NF2). There were no complications due to the implantatio n procedure. Side effects could be excluded by stimulation of the auditory electrodes alone. Most of the patients used their ABI daily. They reported perception of different sounds and frequencies, enhancement of lip-reading ability, and three of the patients were able to use the telephone.