Rapid Postmortem Temporal Bone Extraction and Dissection of Human Inner Ear Organs From Organ Donors.

Balhi, Yassine; Sayyid, Zahra N; Hiel, Hakim; Capshaw, Grace; Amiri, Ghazaleh; Lehar, Mohamed; Liu, George S; Cole, Caroline L et al. · Laryngoscope · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We developed a postmortem protocol for temporal bone extraction and dissection in organ donors, enabling atraumatic bilateral temporal bone retrieval within 1-2 h of ischemia, followed by stepwise microsurgical dissection of neurosensory organs. Combining rapid extraction, abbreviated decalcification, and atraumatic microsurgical dissection, this protocol establishes a scientifically versatile framework for human inner ear tissue acquisition.