Hey guys -
For what it's worth, here's my 2 cents:
Please read my other posts as well that give the background. Long story, short - my husband had an acoustic neuroma (the size of a small egg) removed by Dr Shahinian at Skull Base Institute (SBI) in LA. His surgery was on 10/31/06. 4 years ago (WOW! - for a second there I thought it was 5 years.. it all starts to run together,huh)
I try to come on this site and give periodic updates as to his long term condition. Everything with the surgery went amazing. Dr Shahinian and his staff are absolutely incredible! My husband continues to have VERY FEW side effects. He has lost complete hearing in his left ear, but he has ZERO facial paralysis or other related nerve issues. We actually went skiing a couple of weeks ago. He did comment that he felt his balance was about 85%, but considering it was MAJOR BRAIN surgery - we still feel very fortunate!
I'm giving you all of this from memory - so I may have left out a few details - but I CAN tell you that if I had to do this over again .. I would absolutely make the same decision!
Good luck to all of your out there suffering with this terrible condition. I wish all of you the very best with whatever care you decide. As I have mentioned in several past posts, feel free to contact us with any questions. I know how difficult and mind boggling this can be.
as a side note, the ENT that first diagnosed my husband was very aggressive with finding a solution and, most importantly, he was very open-minded about new,cutting edge technology. I think that is key! If you aren't satisfied with your current doctor, get a 2nd opinion - quickly!! Don't let 1 doctors hesitations cost you hearing, balance, ... & sanity!!
