A pulsed holmium:YAG laser (lambda = 2120 nm) was used to reopen the basal turn of artificially obliterated human cochleas in freshly dissected cadavers. This allowed intracochlear insertion of the stimulation electrode of a cochlear implant under simulated surgical conditions. Laser energy was transmitted through a 400-microns nylon fiber via the opened facial recess directly to the round window niche. At an energy level of 500 mJ per 2.5 microseconds pulse, a repetition rate of 2 Hz, and an exposure time of 20-30 s, the photo-ablative mechanism of laser-bone interaction led to a 8-10 mm recanalization of the basal turn of the cochlea without damaging surrounding structures. The artificial bony occlusion and the recanalized basal turn of the cochlea were visualized by means of computed tomography and studied under light microscopy, using a histologic thin-section technique.