title: Long-term hearing preservation after middle fossa removal of vestibular schwannoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine long-term hearing preservation in vestibular schwannoma patients after undergoing middle fossa resection. STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, AND OUTCOME MEASURES: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing middle fossa resection from 1990 to 1995 at a tertiary care center. Pure-tone thresholds, before resection and at least 5 years after resection, and speech discrimination scores are reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy percent of patients with immediate postoperative hearing maintained serviceable hearing at more than 5 years after surgery. Pure-tone average in the operative ear changed at the same rate as hearing in the unoperated ear during this follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than two thirds of patients who underwent middle fossa resection of a vestibular schwannoma with some hearing postoperatively maintain that hearing at greater than 5 years of follow-up. Surgery alone does not have a negative impact on long-term hearing preservation.
authors.affiliation: House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90057, USA. rfriedman@hei.org
authors.forename: Rick A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kesser
authors.forename: Derald E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Brackmann
authors.forename: Laurel M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Slattery
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hitselberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D035301:Cranial Fossa, Middle / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome