Treatment Options > Radiation / Radiosurgery

Gamma Knife or Retrosygmoid Surgery?

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Mauri:
Greetings,
       My name is Mauri and I am perplexed. I had resigned myself to dealing with my AN (which is about 1 cm in size) by having surgery, as recommended by my specialist. But I needed to meet with the other doctor, a neurosurgeon, who would be on the surgery team. I just had an appointment with him today. He indicated that if I went ahead with the scheduled surgery, I would most likely lose all of my hearing in that ear. He then went on to mention the Gamma Knife treatment, which he indicated would have a much better success rate of saving what hearing I do have on that side. So it sounds like he really prefers that method, compared to my specialist who tends to go with the retrosygmoid approach. Any thoughts or recommendations? I could really use some help from any of you who faced the same decision.

Sue:
Hi Mauri,

Your specialist is a surgeon, no doubt, and that's what he/she is trained to do and that's how he/she feels is the best way to deal with your AN because that is what they were taught in school.  Unless they also do radiosurgery, surgeons are not likely to send you somewhere else. This is, after all, their business.  Your AN, unless it is dangerously located close to your brainstem, or is a super large one (which at 1 cm, it isn't) does not necessarily have to be surgically removed, unless that is what you so desire.  You have the viable option of Gamma Knife or Cyber Knife or any of several other machines that do basically the same thing...make that AN die via a pinpoint burst of radiation that will kill the darn thing. You can visit the cyberknife support and information site and find lots of great information there and even ask real doctors questions and they will actually answer your questions in pretty short order! 

http://www.cyberknifesupport.org/

Good luck with your decision, eventual treatment and recovery.

Sue in Vancouver USA
PS - You might even want to watch and wait...getting another MRI in 6 mos or a year to see what the growth rate is.  Many people are on "hold" so to speak, giving them more time to decide what to do.

linnilue:

--- Quote from: Sue on September 06, 2007, 05:32:06 pm ---Hi Mauri,

Your specialist is a surgeon, no doubt, and that's what he/she is trained to do and that's how he/she feels is the best way to deal with your AN because that is what they were taught in school.  Unless they also do radiosurgery, surgeons are not likely to send you somewhere else. This is, after all, their business.  Your AN, unless it is dangerously located close to your brainstem, or is a super large one (which at 1 cm, it isn't) does not necessarily have to be surgically removed, unless that is what you so desire.  You have the viable option of Gamma Knife or Cyber Knife or any of several other machines that do basically the same thing...make that AN die via a pinpoint burst of radiation that will kill the darn thing. You can visit the cyberknife support and information site and find lots of great information there and even as real doctors questions and they will actually answer your questions in pretty short order! 

http://www.cyberknifesupport.org/

Good luck with your decision, eventual treatment and recovery.

Sue in Vancouver USA
PS - You might even want to watch and wait...getting another MRI in 6 mos or a year to see what the growth rate is.  Many people are on "hold" so to speak, giving them more time to decide what to do.



--- End quote ---
  DITTO...I am in full agreement with Sue.  Your tumor is small and radiation is a viable and most likely first option or "Watch and Wait". 

Mark:
Mauri,

What Sue and Nikynu said  :). They're both right on target and I couldn't add anything more

Mark

sgerrard:
What Mark said about what Nikynu said about what Sue said.  :D
Check it out.
I'm certainly glad I did. I will be doing the zaps next week.

Steve

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