Emilie Heuninck

About

Emilie Heuninck is a pioneering surgeon-researcher at the forefront of robotic cochlear implantation, dedicated to transforming inner ear surgery through precision and minimal invasiveness. Her work centers on developing and validating the HEARO® robotic system, a next-generation surgical tool that enables autonomous, image-guided access for cochlear implant surgery. Heuninck’s major contributions include demonstrating the first entirely robotic cochlear implant procedure in humans (2024), establishing the feasibility of “true keyhole” surgery that preserves inner ear structures, and achieving safe implantation even in challenging cases like post-meningitis ossified cochleae. Her landmark 2022 study on the HEARO® system, with 52 citations, laid the clinical foundation for this paradigm shift. She has also evaluated less invasive approaches for patients with OPA1 mutations causing deafblindness, highlighting the profound impact of cochlear implantation beyond hearing restoration. With cumulative citations exceeding 100, Heuninck’s work is reshaping otologic surgery, offering patients reduced trauma, faster recovery, and preserved residual hearing—advancing a future where robotic precision makes cochlear implantation safer and more accessible.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   First Study in Men Evaluating a Surgical Robotic Tool Providing Autonomous Inner Ear Access for Cochlear Implantation

   52 citations · 2022
2. 2
   Entirely robotic cochlear implant surgery

   14 citations · 2024
3. 3
   Audiological outcomes of robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery

   13 citations · 2023
4. 4
   True keyhole cochlear implant surgery

   9 citations · 2023
5. 5
   Robotic cochlear implantation in post-meningitis ossified cochlea

   8 citations · 2022
6. 6
   Evaluation of a Less Invasive Cochlear Implant Surgery in OPA1 Mutations Provoking Deafblindness

   3 citations · 2023

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links