Abstract
The surgical anatomy and pathology of the cochlea have been reviewed in relation to cochlear implant surgery. Animal experimentation, as well as human temporal bone studies, have shown that the implant electrodes were well tolerated by the cochlea. The possible chemical and mechanical trauma induced by the electrodes can be avoided by better choice of shape, size, length and material of the implants. Long-term electrical stimulation did not seem to cause any deleterious effects on the neuronal population of the cochlea. In the present state of the art, cochlear implantation seems justified in well chosen cases.