gms | German Medical Science

76th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

04.05. - 08.05.2005, Erfurt

The Development of a Wound Retractor with Integrated Suction and Illumination for Cochlear Implantation

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author Peter Rolf Issing - Department for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum Bad Hersfeld GmbH, Bad Hersfeld
  • Ingo Ott - Bad Hersfeld
  • Joachim Joseph Hammersen - Bad Hersfeld

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 76. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V.. Erfurt, 04.-08.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05hno568

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2005/05hno022.shtml

Published: September 22, 2005

© 2005 Issing et al.
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Outline

Text

It is a general goal of the operative medicine to minimize the trauma of a surgical procedure in physical and psychical respect. This has led to the development of the minimally invasive surgery which has a long tradition in ENT-surgery by the endoscopical approaches. Even in cochlear implant surgery the established supraaural “Hannover-skin incision” has been abandoned by many surgeons for just a retroauricular approach. First there is no need tof shave the hair of a wide area which is advantageous especially in women. Secondly the procedure just has the character of an ear instead of a “head surgery” surgery with a less traumatic moment. However, the access for the surgeon is limited in drilling a bed for the implant body. This could cause severe bleeding or a lesion of the dura which has often to be exposed in pediatric implantation.

Therefore a wound retractor with a slim, 43 to 11 mm long blade with integrated suction and illumination has been developed. This has proven to be useful in cochlear implantation and guarantees a brightly illuminated operating field without bone dust or a surplus of water for irrigation. The handling of this instrument is ergonomic despite the two cables for the suction and illumination due to the centre of gravity in the middle of the retractor.

Thus an adequate compromise can be respected between minimization of the trauma and surgical accessibility.