Dr. Shree Rao chaired the 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Cochlear Implant Surgeries (APAC 2026), held at Dr. Rao’s ENT Hospital in Hyderabad on August 21–22, in association with Advanced Bionics.
The two-day conference brought together practising cochlear implant surgeons from South Korea, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and across India, making Dr. Rao’s ENT Hospital the only centre in the Asia-Pacific region to have hosted both editions of the meeting.
The programme featured cadaveric temporal bone dissection with electrode insertion, hands-on electrode-handling sessions, and a live cochlear implant surgery performed by Dr. Rao and streamed directly from the operating theatre, allowing delegates to question the procedure in real time.
A major highlight was the emerging role of gene therapy in hearing loss. Prof. Choi Byung Yoon of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital delivered the keynote on gene therapy for hereditary hearing loss, including OTOF-related deafness, following the recent US approval of a gene therapy targeting this condition. Dr. Rao’s team also presented findings from the BEEP (Bionic Ear Evoked Potential) Study, an ongoing research collaboration with Advanced Bionics.
