Cochlear implantation and facial nerve anastomosis to rehabilitate a burnt middle ear.

ABSTRACT

A 48-year-old man presented to the ENT department of a general hospital after a traumatic event that occurred at work. During arc welding, an incandescent metallic projectile entered the left external auditory canal immediately causing earache, tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo, and completed peripheral facial palsy on the left side. A burnt middle ear is a rare situation for which very few cases are described in the literature. We describe and discuss our therapeutic strategy in an emergency setting. This can be of interest to any ENT surgeon who may face such a case of ear burn. Then we report the first repair of the facial nerve by interposition of an anastomosed intermediate graft associated with cochlear implantation during a single surgical intervention. This case illustrates the multimodal rehabilitation of the damage that can be a consequence of petrous trauma. The patient recovered hearing and facial motor skills.