Dave:
I'm pleased to learn that this board has been a help to you. That's our goal.
In response to your query regarding specific doctors and hospitals, I'll offer my experience.
My neurosurgeon was
Dr. Issac Goodrich of the
CT Neurosurgery group, located in New Haven, CT.
http://www.ct-neurosurg.com/ My surgery and subsequent FSR were performed at the
Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, CT.
http://www.srhs.org/ As my signature shows, I had a 4.5 AN (pressing on my brainstem). Dr. Goodrich performed
retrosigmoid microsurgery to debulk the tumor then worked with a radiation oncologist,
Dr. Johnathan Haas (now practicing on Long Island) to map my FSR treatments (26 in all).
I'm pleased to report that both the surgery and radiation were successful (see my signature). I emerged from both procedures basically symptom-free and with no real complications. Today, I'm doing fine. Pretty much back to normal and feeling great.
I don't know if any of this is useful to you, Dave, but I offer it for whatever it's worth.
The surgery/radiation approach is becoming more popular in the treatment of acoustic neuroma patients. It spares the facial nerves (my surgeon employed nerve monitoring during the surgery) and yet addresses the remaining AN. This uses both procedures (surgery, radiation) to destroy the AN without destroying the patient's quality of life, as my neurosurgeon put it. Based on my experience, I have to recommend it...and Dr. Goodrich, who may not be famous like the House surgeons but who knows acoustic neuromas (30 years experience) and did a tremendously good job for me.
Jim