Restoration of High Frequency Auditory Perception After Robot-Assisted or Manual Cochlear Implantation in Profoundly Deaf Adults Improves Speech Recognition

Background and Purpose: Robot-assisted cochlear implantation has recently been implemented in clinical practice; however, its effect on hearing outcomes is unknown. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate hearing performance 1 year post-implantation whether the electrode array was inserted manually or assisted by a robot.Methods: Forty-two profoundly deaf adults were implanted either manually (n = 21) or assisted by a robot (RobOtol®, Collin, Bagneux, France) with three different electrode array types. Participants were paired by age, and electrode array type. The scalar position of the electrode array in the cochlea was assessed by 3D reconstruction from the pre- and post-implant…