Measuring the electrically evoked stapedius reflex threshold (eSRT) with electromyography (EMG) of the stapedius muscle (SM) may offer an objective approach for cochlear implant (CI) fitting. During unilateral CI surgery in 14 adult patients with single-sided deafness, a retrofacial or anterior approach were used to evaluate the feasibility of SM-EMG during acoustically and electrically elicited stapedius reflex...

Intraoperative EMG of the stapedius muscle via a retrofacial approach may provide a reliable objective measure for cochlear implant fitting threshold estimation, but results from this prospective bicentric study should be replicated in larger trials before changing standard fitting protocols.

Objective, intraoperative tools for cochlear implant fitting could reduce the burden of post-surgical mapping sessions and improve outcomes, especially in patients—such as young children or cognitively impaired adults—who cannot provide reliable behavioral feedback.

1. 01Prospective bicentric design evaluated EMG of the stapedius muscle via a retrofacial surgical approach during CI surgery.
2. 02The electrically evoked stapedius reflex (ESRT) threshold was used as an objective fitting landmark for cochlear implants.
3. 03Retrofacial EMG access may offer a more direct and reliable recording site compared to conventional methods.
4. 04Objective intraoperative fitting measures could reduce post-operative mapping visits and benefit non-verbal patients.
5. 05Published in a peer-reviewed journal (Scientific Reports, Nature portfolio); DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-53093-3.

PMID

42129433

DOI

10.1038/s41598-026-53093-3.

Journal

Scientific Reports

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Patients undergoing cochlear implant surgery across two centres

Intervention

Intraoperative electromyography of the stapedius muscle via a retrofacial approach to record electrically evoked stapedius reflex threshold