Hi ~
AN surgery is complicated and challenging for both doctor(s) and patient but most surgery patients do well. I'm one of them.
In May, 2006, at age 63, I was diagnosed with a large (
4.5 cm) AN. I was blessed to find a mature neurosurgeon with decades of experience in operating on acoustic neuromas. I was very concerned about surgery damaging my facial nerve and to give me the best chance of avoiding facial nerve damage he proposed a two-stage plan that involved, first, surgically 'debulking' the tumor (
peeling off layers) using the
Retrosigmoid approach and severing it's blood supply, making it vulnerable to FSR that I underwent 90 days later in a preplanned sequence. The surgery was successful with no real complications (
no facial nerve involvement) and I recovered fairly quickly. I had lost all hearing in the affected ear so that was not an issue. The 26 FSR treatments were uneventful and I did not suffer any side effects. The upshot of the experience was that subsequent MRI scans indicated the remaining tumor showed necrosis and slight shrinkage and seven years later I'm doing great.
Your husband will need some care for a week or so following his hospital discharge but should regain his strength slowly. I was taking one-mile walks and driving within a fortnight of my hospital discharge. Be aware that we are unique individuals and not everyone recovers at the same pace. Some are raring to go in no time, others need longer and any post-op complication can impede a full recovery. It was probably over a year before I felt totally recovered and my balance never returned to 100% but doesn't pose any problems unless I decide to take up tightrope walking.
I would also note that going into surgery I had complete faith in my doctor's ability, a very positive attitude, a spiritual faith that I employed and a supportive family. These all add to the odds of a good recovery from AN surgery. I hope your husband has a great surgical outcome. Both of you will be in my thoughts and prayers. Please try to keep us updated. Thanks.
Jim