Surgical Planning for Cochlear Implantation in Far-Advanced Otosclerosis: The Utility of OTOPLAN

We read with interest the recent investigation by Bajin et al. (1) that reviewed the management and treatment outcome of far-advanced otosclerosis (FAO) patients. The authors concluded that cochlear implantation (CI) represented a successful back-up option in cases of stapedotomy failure, in accordance to current findings by other authors (24). Bajin et al. (1) performed CI in 13 of their FAO patients (65%), with full electrode insertion in all cases and no serious post-operative complications or side effects during follow-up. Unfortunately, the authors gave no information about the type and the length of the arrays used for surgery. The appropriate choice of CI array length represents a relevant subject, as incomplete electrode insertion remains one of the main problem in CI for FAO (3).