System for accessing a cochlear implant lead insertion site

A method of delivering a self-gelling therapeutic formulation at a cochlear implant lead insertion site of a cochlea, comprising:

• inserting a therapeutic gel delivery shaft through a transmastoid pathway toward a cochlear implant lead;
• while the therapeutic gel delivery shaft is positioned through the transmastoid pathway such that a distal port of the therapeutic gel delivery shaft is proximate to the cochlear implant lead, depositing a self-gelling therapeutic formulation out of the distal port of the therapeutic gel delivery shaft onto a cochlear implant lead insertion site at a round window niche of a cochlea, said self-gelling therapeutic formulation comprising:
• an anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent and a polymer gel composition including water, a functional polymer of about 5% to about 15% by weight of the polymer gel composition, and a crosslinker of about 0.2% to about 0.6% by weight of the polymer gel composition, wherein the distal port of the therapeutic gel delivery shaft is sized to deposit a dosage of the self-gelling therapeutic formulation to output a sustained release of the anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent into the cochlea;
• and
• after said depositing the self-gelling therapeutic formulation out of the distal port of the therapeutic gel delivery shaft, using direct visualization of the cochlear implant lead insertion site to verify that the self-gelling therapeutic formulation is retained as a gel substance along the cochlear implant lead at the round window niche of the cochlea.