Objective: It is aimed in this study to investigate the reliability of the cochlear implant receiver-stimulator (CIR-S) placement using unfixed subperiosteal tight pocket technique and the postoperative soft tissue changes that occur around the CIR-S, in toddlers under 2 years of age.
Methods: Nonsyndromic toddlers with normal radiological findings and who were planned to have cochlear implantation were included in the study. Preoperative and postoperative complications, device migration, and postoperative soft tissue changes occurred around the CIR were analyzed using objective methods.
Results: Twenty-six toddlers aged between 12 and 24 months who met the study criteria were followed up for a mean follow-up duration of 18 months. No intraoperative and postoperative surgical complications and device migration were observed in any of the cases included in the study.
Conclusion: It was concluded as a result of this study that cochlear implant receiver-stimulator placement using the subperiosteal pocket technique is reliable in toddlers under 2 years of age, provided that the small incision tight subperiostal pocket technique is performed meticulously without fixation and well drilling, and that device-protective changes occur in the tissues around the CIR-S over time with the use of the device and as the child skull develops.
Keywords: Cochlear implant; Soft tissue thickness; Subperiosteal pocket; Surgical technique.