HEARO Robotic Cochlear Implantation: Prof. Vedat Topsakal with Prof. Paul Van de Heyning

The dawn of a new era in cochlear implant surgery: On December 10th, 2018, Professor Vedat Topsakal performed the first HEARO robotic cochlear implantation procedure on a patient at UZA Antwerp University Hospital. HEARO®, the world’s first cochlear implant surgical robot, has been developed by CAScination AG, together with MED-EL. Please note, this was a clinical trial. This landmark achievement is the result of years of dedicated research and development across multiple disciplines. In 2016, Prof. Marco Caversaccio of Insel Hospital, Bern, proved that it was possible to safely pass the facial recess and perform a robotic access to the middle ear cavity using this technology. Now, Prof. Topsakal has proven that it is possible to robotically drill an access to the inner ear and safely create a channel all the way to the round window of the cochlea. With OTOPLAN, you can calculate the ideal trajectory for each patient for an optimal approach angle for insertion into the cochlea. Aligning the insertion trajectory to the natural cochlear anatomy enables a smooth insertion of the electrode array. HEARO creates this straight trajectory from the mastoid surface to the scala tympani at the ideal approach angle for entering the cochlea through the round window, allowing the surgeon to gently insert the flexible electrode array directly into the scala tympani. The HEARO procedure replaces the traditional mastoidectomy, posterior tympanotomy, and removal of the bony overhang with a precisely drilled channel directly to the round window of the cochlea. The entire procedure is planned by the surgeon pre-operatively using OTOPLAN® software. *Please note, the procedure shown was a clinical trial. HEARO is currently not approved. **HEARO and OTOPLAN are produced by CAScination AG.