Surgical difficulties and postoperative problems associated with cochlear implants.

Since 1987 we have implanted 60 severely hearing-impaired adults with the Nucleus Minisystem-22 cochlear implant. In most cases, the surgical procedures were performed with satisfactory results and very few postoperative problems. The complications associated with cochlear implant surgery include difficulty in drilling the ossified cochlea, electrode displacement, and insufficient insertion of the electrode. Postoperative problems include dizziness, tinnitus, facial nerve spasm, receiver-stimulator migration or extrusion, infection of the scalp flap, and facial nerve palsy. In most cases, these complaints did not develop into serious conditions.