Preservation of Hearing in Surgery for Acoustic Neuroma

Abstract

One hundred thirty-four patients with acoustic neuromas were operated on via the middle cranial fossa approach (MCF) or extended MCF by a team of otologists and neurosurgeons. Surgery to preserve hearing (MCF or MCF combined with a transtentorial approach) was performed in 17 (13%) patients with preoperative hearing levels of 50 dB or less and tumors less than 2.0 cm in diameter. Hearing could be preserved in 8 (47%) of these patients. In contrast, in 17 other patients with hearing levels of 51 dB or over, hearing could be preserved in only one patient. The indications for hearing preservation, surgical approaches, intraoperative monitoring, and significance of hearing preservation in acoustic neuroma surgery are discussed. © 1988, The Society of Practical Otolaryngology. All rights reserved.