Salvaging the exposed cochlear implant

Cochlear implant exposure is an uncommon occurrence that may imperil the fate of the implant. Insertion of this costly device is a delicate procedure, and reimplantation with another implant after removal is expensive and emotionally stressful for patients. Salvage of the original implant can be quite successful with a fully vascularized scalp-nape of the neck rotation flap. The authors review the literature and report their experience in salvaging exposed implants in 2 patients, who had risk factors that compromised healing.