Local anesthesia for cochlear implant surgery: a possible alternative

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the possibility of performing a cochlear implant surgery with local anesthesia and sedation, the anesthetic technique and the advantages of that in comparison to a general anesthesia.Aimsprospective study demonstrating the possibility of doing cochlear implant surgery under local anesthesia and sedation.Materials and methodswe describe three successful cases operated under local anesthesia, including neural telemetry and the conditions the patient presented after the surgery, with a very good recovery and no complications during and after the procedure.Resultsthese three surgeries show the possibility of doing the cochlear implant surgery with this kind of anesthesia, with a fast recovery, no symptoms of dizziness and vomiting after the surgery, and very few complaints from the patient.Conclusionlocal anesthesia with sedation for cochlear implant surgery in adults is a very good alternative for lowering the morbidity for the patient. It bears fewer risks, low costs for the hospital, with a very good procedure control, being very useful for older patients or the ones that have contraindications for general anesthesia. Clinical trial register - IC - 026 (clinicaltrials.gov)