The suprameatal approach in cochlear implant surgery: our experience with 80 patients.

The suprameatal approach (SMA) was first performed in 1999. It was developed for cochlear implantation as an alternative to the classic technique of transmastoid posterior tympanotomy approach. In the course of SMA the middle ear is exposed from the external auditory canal and the electrodes are inserted into the cochlea through a suprameatal tunnel bypassing the mastoid cavity. The goal of developing the SMA was to simplify the surgical technique, shorten the duration of surgery, enable wide exposure of the middle ear during the procedure, and avoid possible damage to the facial nerve and chorda tympani. We report here the results of 80 patients who were operated on using the SMA technique.