Long-term hearing preservation after middle fossa removal of vestibular schwannoma.
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.
Friedman
Rick A
RA
House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90057, USA. rfriedman@hei.org
Kesser
Bradley
B
Brackmann
Derald E
DE
Fisher
Laurel M
LM
Slattery
William H
WH
Hitselberger
William E
WE
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