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Author Topic: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery  (Read 33743 times)

LakeErie

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #15 on: October 21, 2012, 04:04:59 pm »
Pajamas - You are right that risks pertain to any procedure. My analysis of minimally invasive AN removal indicates shorter operative time, shorter recovery time, few ICU stays, lower overall morbidity, and quicker discharge. That said, I did have a CSF leak that healed on its own in a short time and did not delay my discharge at all. While there are no guarantees from any procedure, I'd still opt for the less invasive surgery I did have.  Not everyone would make the same choice. I'm glad your choice is made and good luck.
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4.7 cm x 3.6 cm x 3.2 cm vestibular schwannoma
Simplified retrosigmoid @ Cleveland Clinic 10/06/2011
Rt SSD, numbness, vocal cord and swallowing problems
Vocal cord and swallowing normalized at 16 months. Numbness persists.
Regrowth 09/19/2016
GK 10/12/2016 Cleveland Clinic
facial weakness Jan 2017

skipg

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #16 on: October 21, 2012, 06:41:15 pm »
Choices and more choices for us to make. I thank God I am not alone in my decision making process. He is here to guide me as I walk this path. What is right for one of us is not for the other. Sometimes I had wished for a guide book and set of instructions to help each of us along with our decision making. Such is life. Choices we have to make our entire life guide us towards our future destiny. I hope and pray we all leave this earth better than when we found.
Skip
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Self diagnosed 11/17/2010 (love the internet)
MRI 12/2010 Official diagnosis 1/3/2011 RT AN 7x6x4mm's
MRI 6/17/2011 no change still 7X6X4
MRI 7/20/2012 growth spurt to 14mm
Aug 8th consult and decided on Proton Therapy
Proton Therapy @ Hampton Proton Institute,       done on 11/20/12

Pajamas

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2012, 07:18:25 pm »
Karen,

I will definitely keep you all updated on every aspect of my surgery. It's actually been moved to 11/7 to accomodate another surgeon's schedule. Anyway, I'll be on here letting everyone knows how it goes.

Jamie
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Irvine, CA ~ Female ~ 32
10mm x 5mm x 6mm AN Left Side
Diagnosed: 9/19/12
Removed: 11/7/12
* Retrosigmoid Endoscopic w/Dr. John Frazee @ UCLA

dtorres135

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #18 on: October 23, 2012, 02:28:12 pm »
For those watch and wait for years.  How did you deal with the symptons.  What are we waiting for?  I often wonder if I should just wait .  I've been told I could watch and wait, get surgery, or cyber knife?  I just want it out..but soo afraid of the complications.
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Mickey

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #19 on: October 23, 2012, 07:10:07 pm »
All the best Pajamas! I personally would be checking this procedure out more if it ever became necessary for me to interact. As for now I`m doing fine with W+W and hope that this will stay my fate. Prayers and Best wishes, Mickey
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agnes

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #20 on: October 24, 2012, 07:26:57 am »
to dtorres135
In answer to your question regarding how do we wait? It depends on the symptoms that we have. I only have some hearing loss in the left ear, which I can live with. Any treatment that I chose will not regain the hearing loss that is now gone. I hardly have any symptoms and was advised by my physician in 2007 to wait if I wanted to. I am just the type of person that is satisfied with waiting because supposedly these are slow growing and I guess I have the hope that mine will never grow enough that I have to have anything done. If so, I have options as to which is the best thing for me. Some people want to have surgery or radiation immediately, its just personal choice. Hope this helps.
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6x8x12 mm diagnosed 7/11/07 left side AN watch and wait. Partial hearing loss
left ear. Second MRI done 03/21/2008 waiting results. Unchanged from last year. 1.3 cm.Third MRI done 02/16/2009 1.3 cm unchanged. 4th MRI 12/18/09  Still 1.3 no growth, just some vascular chgs noted.MRI 11-30-12 no growth

agnes

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #21 on: October 24, 2012, 07:30:03 am »
Pajamas,
I wish you the best of luck and I am interested to see how you make out with this, since its
something I am considering if I need treatment. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
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6x8x12 mm diagnosed 7/11/07 left side AN watch and wait. Partial hearing loss
left ear. Second MRI done 03/21/2008 waiting results. Unchanged from last year. 1.3 cm.Third MRI done 02/16/2009 1.3 cm unchanged. 4th MRI 12/18/09  Still 1.3 no growth, just some vascular chgs noted.MRI 11-30-12 no growth

It is what it is

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #22 on: November 02, 2012, 12:58:23 pm »
I'm interested to hear the results you receive from the MRI.  It's fortunate you have done so much of your homework already. 

Karen
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.7cm, left side AN , Tinnitus, Hearing preserved, Middle Fossa 8/1/12 at HEI, Drs Friedman and Schwartz, Sharing your story is extremely helpful to me.

agnes

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #23 on: November 02, 2012, 04:47:01 pm »
I went to my physician on Tuesday because I have a different insurance company now. She submitted the information to the insurance company for pre approval for the MRI but I still haven't heard anything yet. I will keep in touch and let you all know how the MRI turns out.
It won't take me long to get the MRI appt, its just waiting for the approval. I am very claustraphobic, so I have to go to the open MRI.
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6x8x12 mm diagnosed 7/11/07 left side AN watch and wait. Partial hearing loss
left ear. Second MRI done 03/21/2008 waiting results. Unchanged from last year. 1.3 cm.Third MRI done 02/16/2009 1.3 cm unchanged. 4th MRI 12/18/09  Still 1.3 no growth, just some vascular chgs noted.MRI 11-30-12 no growth

leapyrtwins

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #24 on: November 05, 2012, 07:13:17 pm »
Quote from: dtorres135 on October 23, 2012, 02:28:12 pm
I often wonder if I should just wait .  I've been told I could watch and wait, get surgery, or cyber knife?  I just want it out..but soo afraid of the complications.

Watching and waiting - if you're given that choice by a doctor - is a personal choice.  Surgery and radiation are personal choices too.

Bottomline, you need to do what you think is best for you and what you are comfortable with; after consulting with a doctor or doctors.

I was told I could watch and wait for a while, but I declined; mainly because I'm the type of person who would have lost my mind watching and waiting  ::)  It works great for some, but I would have been a basketcase.  I'm a worrier, can you tell?

I'm a very black & white type person.  I like to be proactive and I don't like to sit and wait; I'm very impatient.  One of my biggest things was just wanting to get the tumor out of my head.  I wanted to deal with whatever side-effects I encountered and get on with my life.  I chose surgery, but to each his own. 

Follow your heart, your head, and your gut. 

Best,

Jan
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Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

It is what it is

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2012, 09:56:09 pm »
Jan, I read your profile more carefully just now and WOW are you fortunate you didn't wait for treatment since your AN grew so rapidly!!!!!! 

karen
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.7cm, left side AN , Tinnitus, Hearing preserved, Middle Fossa 8/1/12 at HEI, Drs Friedman and Schwartz, Sharing your story is extremely helpful to me.

leapyrtwins

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #26 on: November 13, 2012, 03:57:00 pm »
I'm also fortunate that I didn't opt for GK.

By the time they would have clamped the frame onto my head, put me in the MRI tube, and decided to zero in on the tumor, they would have had to stop the procedure.  My neurotologist told me after surgery that, in his opinion, it was too large to radiate.

Alls well that ends well  ;D

Jan
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Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

It is what it is

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #27 on: November 13, 2012, 11:29:59 pm »
Whew!  That was a close one!!!!!!  I'm sure glad it worked out like it did for you.  :)

karen
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.7cm, left side AN , Tinnitus, Hearing preserved, Middle Fossa 8/1/12 at HEI, Drs Friedman and Schwartz, Sharing your story is extremely helpful to me.

agnes

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #28 on: November 19, 2012, 08:32:31 pm »
I have my MRI scheduled for November 30th, so I am interested to hear what the results are. I will keep in touch and let you
know as soon as I know something.
Has anyone heard from Pajamas yet as to how she made out with her surgery?

Hope all on the forum have a good thanksgiving holiday.
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6x8x12 mm diagnosed 7/11/07 left side AN watch and wait. Partial hearing loss
left ear. Second MRI done 03/21/2008 waiting results. Unchanged from last year. 1.3 cm.Third MRI done 02/16/2009 1.3 cm unchanged. 4th MRI 12/18/09  Still 1.3 no growth, just some vascular chgs noted.MRI 11-30-12 no growth

Jim Scott

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Re: Minimally Invasive Acoustic Neuroma surgery
« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2012, 02:08:57 pm »
Quote from: agnes on November 19, 2012, 08:32:31 pm
I have my MRI scheduled for November 30th, so I am interested to hear what the results are. I will keep in touch and let you
know as soon as I know something.
Has anyone heard from Pajamas yet as to how she made out with her surgery?

Hope all on the forum have a good thanksgiving holiday.

Agnes ~

Jamie's surgery was successful.  She's home and recuperating.  http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=17985.msg979749171#msg979749171 (see her post #16 and following).

Jim
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4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.
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