Total removal of acoustic neurinomas

Abstract

The authors analyze the results of total removal of acoustic neurinomas in 120 patients operated on between January, 1967, and January, 1976. The facial nerve was preserved after surgery in 65 patients (54.2%). The use of microsurgical techniques in the last 3 years of study permitted preservation of the seventh nerve in 26 of 35 operated patients (74.3%). Of 103 patients examined postoperatively, 96 retained their full or partial capacity for work (93.2%). Ten patients (8.3%) died after surgery. In the last 3 years, 35 patients were operated on without a single death.

The utility of facial nerve amplitude and latency ratios in predicting postoperative facial nerve function after vestibular schwannoma surgery

“…[7] Across various reports, the facial nerve functional preservation rate was 80-100% in tumors <2 cm and 56-100% in tumor size between 2 and 4 cm. [8,9] For those with tumor size >4 cm, the functional preservation rate varied from 20 to 94%. [9][10][11][12] Our facial nerve preservation rates are similar.…”

Intracranial repair of interrupted facial nerve in course of operation for acoustic neurinoma by microsurgical technique

“…Olivecrona 3~ had been able to save the facial nerve function in 20% of his 415 operated cases, performing total removal in 84% of the cases, and, when considering the largest series of the past 5,8,10,17,26,31,33, it appears that the facial nerve could be preserved in only 10 to 32% of the cases. The advent of microneurosurgical techniques made total removal a regular achievement even in cases of large or very large acoustic tumours, which still account for more than 50% of the cases in the largest neurosurgical series 9' 19, 21,28, 43,44,46, with reduced operative mortality. In these particular instances, the facial nerve is often thinned to an almost membranous layer tightly adherent to the tumour itself.…”