Cochlear implantation with the insertion of electrode through the round window is presently considered as the optimal method of cochlear implantation, allowing to preserve not only the residual hearing, but also structures of the cochlea. This method had been elaborated and perfected by Prof. Henryk Skarżyński in the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing. Today, numerous surgeons globally want to learn this technique and the World Hearing Center organizes regularly training courses for them under the umbrella ‘WAW – Window Approach Workshop’.
The workshop that took place on November 12-14 was the 15th already in the WAW series and the 3rd Surgical Foundation Course – organized in cooperation with the Belgium-based Cochlear Academy. International group of participants included ten ORL surgeons from Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, Sweden and Egypt.
Training program included lectures of specialists from the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing on the assessment and qualification of patients for cochlear implantation, newest diagnostic methods such as bioimaging, surgical techniques and newest technologies in cochlear implants. Participants had also a unique learning opportunity of watching demonstration surgeries performed by Prof. Skarżyński. After demonstration surgeries they went to the laboratory, to train cochlear implantation techniques on temporal bone specimens under the supervision of instructors.
