surgery after radiation

[danilaaimone]

I have a 2.2 cm AN treated with CK in 2004; since it is growing I'm evaluating to remove it with microsurgery. There's someone that had his AN removed after radiation? Somebody knows if it is a more difficult operation?
Thank you
Danila

[NL]

Hi Danila,

I'm sorry that your AN is growing, and while I don't personally have experience with surgery after radiation, there are two people who were on the forum who both had successful surgeries after radiation. You can see their stories posted on the links below.

Kathleen had surgery six years after radiation, and Crystal had hers two years following radiation. (Kathleen and I met when we were both having surgery at House Clinic in LA, and I know she'd be happy to talk to you if you sent her a PM.)

Crystal's Story - http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=2737.0

Kathleen's Story - http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=7072.0

Hope this helps and best of luck,

Nancy L

[Sheryl]

Hi Danila - everyone is different but in my hubby's case he had a meningioma (another benign type of brain tumor) regrowth after surgery.  He opted for Cyberknife for the regrowth as he did not want another surgery.  We are not sure the Cyberknife is working (15 months after treatment) and have consulted with a neurosurgeon who says that if surgery were to be performed, it would not be more difficult because of the previous radiation.
Good Luck,
Sheryl

[Tumbleweed]

FWIW, I've seen neurosurgeons get quoted as saying that there is really no inherent validity to claims that ANs are harder to remove after RS (due to the formation of scar tissue). Basically, their opinion is that it's only harder for neurosurgeons who are less experienced and not as skillful.

Best wishes,
Tumbleweed

[hruss]

Hi Danilla!

I have been told by different neurosurgeons both in Bulgaria and in Germany that once you have a surgery after a radiation, removing the tumor becomes very complicated! I tend to believe in that since imagine how your tumor looks like after radiation whose aim was to kill the bugger! doctors told me that the tumor gets more fragile. I remember that Dr John House from House Ear Clinic even told me that it gets very complicated once radiated and I do not believe he is inexperienced in any case!!

Very complicated does not mean surgeries are not performed though! I have heard of people who are operated successfully after being radiated! so just choose doctors who are experienced with sch cases!

Good luck!
Hrissy

[danilaaimone]

I noticed that the peolpe of the two happy end stories have been treated with a traslab microsurgery: I'm considering (after that my CK failed ) to go with retrostigmoid. microsurgery (the neurosurgeon is very experienced and sklillful). Any opinion of pros Vs cons of the two different approaches  for a 2,2/2,5 cm radiated AN?

It is the last choice (and the most important for my life, I'm 34 years old), I want to choose the best and I'm so scared...

Thank you

Danila

[Pooter]

Honestly, I think the approach should be dictated (or least steered) by consultation with the surgeon.  I had a retrosigmoid surgery, but up until a week before surgery they were going to do a translab surgery.  Why?  I asked my doctor that same question... His response was that after consulting with the other doctor doing the surgery, the retro approach gave them the best angle at my particular tumor.  To me, either approach would have been fine so long as it gave the surgeons the best chance at getting the tumor.  That was of the utmost importance to me.

Read my story (address in my signature).  When the surgery approach was changed, I was freaked out (as others can attest to here) but I quickly was okay with it when I found out why it was changed.

My advice, take it for what it's worth, consult with your surgeon to figure out the best approach for HIM/HER to get YOUR tumor with minimal complication.

FYI, I would consider my surgery a "happy end story".  Approach is really a means to an end in my book.  It's personal with advice from your doctor because he/she has to actually perform the surgery.

Regards,
Brian

[leapyrtwins]

Danila -

my AN was a little larger than yours and I had retrosigmoid surgery in May 2007.  The surgical approach was my choice - I could have chosen translab.

I have only very slight balance issues; when I'm tired or have walked a long, long distance.  I had slight facial nerve paralysis - for a day or two post op.  I get no headaches.  I have no eye issues.  I am SSD in my AN ear and currently wear a BAHA.

Not bragging; just giving you a recap of my outcome in a nutshell.  Please feel free to ask me anything else you'd like to know.

Best of luck,

Jan

[Captain Deb]

One of my dorm mates at House Ear, Mary Jane Clayton had translab for failed gammaknife and is now cruising with her hubby Mike aboard Dragonquest, their 38 foot double-ender down in Florida! No problems for her! She came to visit me a few years ago and you would never know she had ever been thru anythin aside from a little dry eye and a little night unsteadiness.  She and Mike are live-aboard cruisers half the year and are living their dream and are both 69 years old. She sailed thru her translab surgery. Guess it all depends on the condition of your brainbooger and the skill of your surical team.

Capt Deb

[danilaaimone]

Thank you all,
I have red Brian's moving and funny story and Kathleen story too. I don't know how it will be the end of my story and I still have a lot of things to go through but it is very important to have your support.
Thank you
ciao
Danila

[Pooter]

Danila,

What you'll find on this forum is that we'll support you 1,000% after you make your choice of treatment.  We'll back you up and support your decision.  We all know it's a personal one, so we don't make it for you.  Jan even went so far as to asking her surgeon what HE would do in her shoes and he declined to answer saying it was ONLY HER choice.  So, whatever you choose, we'll be here supporting that decision.

Regards,
Brian

[leapyrtwins]

Jan even went so far as to asking her surgeon what HE would do in her shoes and he declined to answer saying it was ONLY HER choice. 

True.  But I was pretty much looking for the easy way out    I tried everything I could think of to get him to make the decision for me, but he refused - God love him    In the end, I realized he was right.  It was my decision, as hard as it was to make.  But I did get to a point where I knew what was right for me and I was confident in my choice - and confident in my doctors (neurotologist and neurosurgeon).  You'll eventually get to this point too, Danila.

And as Brian said, we'll support you no matter what.

Jan

[danilaaimone]

I understand what you are meaning, and I agree: at the and of the day I don't have choice (I have to have a brain surgery) BUT the fact to be aware and responsible for the surgery I'll have, give me a degree of freedom as personhood.
Next week I'm meeting two other super big Doctors.

ciao
Danila