Publications by authors named "Luca Bianconi"

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the recurrence rate of cholesteatoma in patients who have undergone exclusive endoscopic tympanoplasty at our tertiary referral institution. A secondary objective is to analyze different clinical aspects that could be considered risk factors for recurrence to establish if it is possible to determine when a second-look procedure is indicated instead of a clinical follow-up.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on patients who had undergone exclusive endoscopic tympanoplasty for cholesteatoma in the last eight years and who were followed up for at least one year.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To critically illustrate the personal experience with using the "Remote Check" application which remotely monitors the hearing rehabilitation level of cochlear implant users at home and further allows clinicians to schedule in-clinic sessions according to the patients' needs.

Methods: 12-month prospective study. Eighty adult cochlear implant users (females n = 37, males n = 43; age range 20-77 years) with ≥ 36 months of cochlear implant experience and ≥ 12 months of stable auditory and speech recognition level volunteered for this 12-month long prospective study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pathology of the lateral skull base poses a unique challenge for the surgeon. An intimate knowledge of the anatomy and the various approaches used for accessing pathology of the lateral skull base is critical. Three novel, minimally invasive, transcanal approaches for the management of lateral skull base pathology are described herein along with their respective indications, advantages, and disadvantages.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The transcanal transpromontorial approach has been introduced to remove vestibular schwannomas. As with other techniques, preservation of the facial nerve (FN) is challenging. This pilot study described FN outcomes of patients preoperatively and postoperatively assessed with electromyography (EMG) and blink reflex (BR).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The implications of frailty in older adults' health status and autonomy necessitates the understanding and effective management of this widespread condition as a priority for modern societies. Despite its importance, we still stand far from early detection, effective management and prevention of frailty. One of the most important reasons for this is the lack of sensitive instruments able to early identify frailty and pre-frailty conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of a transcanal infrapromontorial approach for vestibular schwannoma surgery through an anatomical dissection study and the description of a clinical case.

Methods: A microscopic and endoscopic dissection of cadaveric heads was undertaken through a transcanal infrapromontorial approach to the internal auditory canal (IAC), preserving the cochlea and the cochlear nerve. Description of the anatomy and surgical steps is reported as well as presentation of a clinical case in which a transcanal infrapromontorial approach was performed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The objective of this study is to describe what we consider to be the state-of-the-art procedure for the treatment of tympanic membrane perforations, and to present the results attained in our institution.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study, using data of Verona University Hospital, Italy. This medical record includes the data of 98 patients who underwent 100 transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasties from November 2014 to October 2017.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The most widely accepted treatment for otosclerosis is currently microscopic stapes surgery under either local or general anesthesia. The aim of the study is to describe the surgical steps in endoscopic stapes surgery and to evaluate the audiologic and surgical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: All patients who underwent exclusive endoscopic stapes surgery or revision surgery for previous stapedotomy between November 2014 and September 2018 were enrolled in this study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Complex middle and inner ear malformations are considered an important limitation for cochlear implant (CI) with traditional microscopic techniques. The aim of the present study is to describe the results of the endoscopic-assisted CI procedure in children with malformed ears.

Study Design: Case series with chart review of consecutive patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Hearing restoration has always been a dream in vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. The aim of this study is to describe an endoscopic assisted transcanal retrocochlear approach to the internal auditory canal (IAC) with total removal of the VS; simultaneously we assessed the anatomical and functional aspects of hearing restoration with cochlear implant (CI).

Study Design: A retrospective case series.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign tumor of the lateral skull base. Different microscopic surgical techniques are described in literature: the retrosigmoid and translabyrinthine approaches are used to treat big tumors located in the cerebellopontine angle, and the middle cranial fossa approach is utilized for small tumors with good hearing preservation. The expanded transcanal transpromontorial (ExpTT) approach is a combined microscopic-endoscopic technique previously indicated for Koos stage I and II VS and now proposed for larger VS, up to 3 cm in diameter, with linear progression into the cerebellopontine angle and touching the brainstem.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hypothesis: Ossification of the cochlea was once considered to be a contraindication for cochlear implantation. Advances in cochlear implant technology and coding strategies have led to developments in different surgical procedures to manage cochlear ossification. The endoscopic technique allows a direct approach to the round window and the cochlea, especially in remodeled labyrinth, allowing a better vision of scala tympani.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Management of penetrating ocular splinter injuries is very controversial. Penetrating wounds of the orbit represent a complex therapeutic problem that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Endoscopic approaches to the orbit are currently performed through the lamina papyracea to access the medial part, or through large orbitotomies to access the lateral part.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF