title: Surgical treatment of acoustic neuroma: Outcomes and indications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgery for acoustic neuroma has developed over the years with a gradual improvement in outcome. The goal of surgery should be cure of the disease and a low morbidity, preserving facial nerve function - and hearing, too, whenever feasible (i.e. in small tumors). The most appropriate approach must be decided case by case.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Results of microsurgery remain heterogeneous, however, probably due to the different amount of experience gained at different centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical series reported in the recent literature (2012-2015) were critically reviewed, along with some older papers with particularly representative series.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering patients' age, surgical morbidity of different approaches, tumor size and hearing, some principles can be identified on which to base surgical indications with a view to achieving the goals of curing the disease with a low morbidity, preserving facial nerve function and hearing, too, whenever feasible (i.e. in patients with small tumors). Different therapeutic approaches are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology, Neurosciences Department, University Hospital, Padua, via N. Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zanoletti
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology, Neurosciences Department, University Hospital, Padua, via N. Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faccioli
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology, Neurosciences Department, University Hospital, Padua, via N. Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
keywords: Acoustic neuroma outcome; Acoustic neuroma surgery; Hearing preservation surgery; Retrosigmoid approach; Translabyrinthine approach