Utility of 3D printed temporal bones in surgical planning of Cochlear Implant for congenital malformations.
INTRODUCTION
Cochlear implant surgery in congenital malformations of the inner ear is a big medical challenge, not only its execution but also the outcome. Many complications may arise; therefore surgical planning is essential to avoid them. This work describes the planning process using three-dimensional printed models.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the utility of printing 3D temporal bones for the planning process of cochlear implant surgery of malformed inner ears.
CASE SUMMARY
Two patients with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with congenital malformation of their inner ears are presented. In the surgical planning process, 3D reconstruction and printing of the malformed ears are performed. The previous, with the goal of planning and practicing the surgical act, considering the alterations of both, the middle and inner ear, to find the best insertion route. Using a 3D printer, all the temporal bone structures are reconstructed. The surgery is practiced on these models at two scales (1x-1.5x), identifying critical structures in the surgery (e.g. facial nerve). Once the process is completed, a surgical algorithm is developed.
CONCLUSION
Surgical planning based on 3D printed models allows the development of a working algorithm that reduces the possibility of intraoperative complications of cochlear implant surgery in inner ear malformations. However, this evaluation should be complemented with software analysis of tomographic and magnetic resonance images that allow multiplanar reconstruction (e.g. Horus or Osirix). These tools will help to develop a detailed spatial model of the temporal bone

Utility of 3D printed temporal bones in surgical planning of Cochlear Implant for congenital malformations

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm, that on behalf of the Cochlear Implant centers of the Radboud UMC in Nijmegen and Erasmus MC Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam to invite you to attend the 16th European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation to Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2023.

Yours sincerely, on behalf of the CI Centers at Radboud UMC and Erasmus MC,