The impact of CSF gusher on preservation of low frequency residual hearing following cochlear implantation

To investigate and compare low-frequency residual hearing preservation following cochlear implantation in patients with or without an intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) gusher. METHODOLOGY: This descriptive comparative cohort study was conducted at CDA Cochlear Implant Centre, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Capital Hospital Islamabad, from 1 st April 2024 to 31 st March 2025....

Monitor residual low-frequency hearing outcomes carefully in cochlear implant patients who experience an intraoperative CSF gusher, though clinical management protocols should await stronger prospective evidence.

Hearing preservation is a growing priority in cochlear implantation, and understanding how rare intraoperative events like CSF gushers affect outcomes could refine surgical decision-making and candidacy counselling.

1. 01CSF gusher is a rare intraoperative complication during cochlear implant surgery involving spinal fluid leakage from the inner ear.
2. 02Study compares low-frequency residual hearing preservation between gusher and non-gusher cochlear implant cases.
3. 03Published in Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences; likely a small, single-centre retrospective cohort.
4. 04Hearing preservation is increasingly important as electric-acoustic stimulation (combined hearing aid + implant) gains ground.
5. 05Findings may help surgeons counsel patients about preservation odds when a gusher is anticipated or occurs.

PMID

42291587

DOI

10.12669/pjms.42.5.12688.

Journal

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

3

Population

Patients who underwent cochlear implantation, stratified by presence or absence of intraoperative CSF gusher

Intervention

Cochlear implantation with intraoperative CSF gusher

Comparator

Cochlear implantation without CSF gusher