Delayed-onset facial paralysis following cochlear implantation: a case study and comprehensive analysis

Abstract

Objectives

Cochlear implantation (CI) is a surgical intervention used to rehabilitate hearing in individuals, both pediatric and adult, with severe hearing loss. It is generally a safe procedure with rare postoperative complications. Facial nerve paralysis following cochlear implant surgery poses challenges in diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

This case report details a 48-year-old male who experienced delayed facial paralysis after cochlear implantation, an uncommon occurrence with limited documentation.

Results

The facial nerve palsy of the patient resolved by the third week with combined therapy.

Discussion

The etiology of this complication is not fully understood, with latent virus reactivation, particularly HSV and VZV, hypothesized as a probable cause.

Conclusion

Successful management involves a combination of corticosteroids, antiviral therapy, and antibiotics, leading to a favorable outcome.

Keywords:

• Cochlear implant
• Facial nerve paralysis
• Complication

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Filiz Gülüstan

Filiz Gülüstan is an assistant professor of otorhinolaryngology from Istanbul, Turkey who is specifically interested in ear disorders and cochlear implantation.

Zahide Mine Yazıcı

Professor Zahide Mine Yazıcı is an otorhinolaryngologist, her interests include ear and rhinological disorders. Her recent articles focus on cochlear implantation in patients with rare disorders and rare complications in inplanted patients.

Recep Haydar Koç

Recep Haydar Koç is an otorhinolaryngologist, has published articles: Incidence and Management of Delayed Epistaxis Following Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery (2021) and Betahistine add-on therapy for treatment of subjects with posterior benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a randomized controlled trial (2020).

Burak Kaan İnan

Burak Kaan Inan, an otorhinolaryngology resident, has lately taken a role in publishing Navigating Early and Late Hematomas in Cochlear Implantation: A Tri-Case Analysis (2024) and Optimizing Early Detection: Validating Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18 (OSA-18) in Turkish-Speaking Pediatric Patients (2023).

Can Berk Aşaroğlu

Can Berk Aşaroğlu is an otorhinolaryngology resident from Istanbul, Turkey. He recently contributed to article Cochlear Implantation in Primrose Syndrome with a Novel ZBTB20 Gene Variant (2023).

İbrahim Sayın

İbrahim Sayın, professor of otorhinolaryngology, is an experienced researcher. He is currently conducting studies on efficacy of biological agents used in rhinological disorder.