Newly Diagnosed

[Chartwurks53]

I'm a 52 y/o woman  recently diagnosed with AN earlier this month.  I was referred to the HOUSE Clinic in Los Angeles.  My AN is 1.1cm and my physician is Dr. Rick Friedman.  He seems qualified enough yet I don't want to be one of the masses in that the surgical method is a routine "cookie cutter" selection.  I'm encuraged by the various notes I have read so far and it is good to know that there is life after AN. 

My questions - is a Translab approach the best choice for my tumor size?  Also, is the BAHA device worth the effort, long term?

This is a challenging moment for me and I was wondering if there are other surgical options.

Any comments would be appreciated.  Prayers are also welcomed.

[David Wrubel]

You could not be at a better faciility or in better hands. There are many posts throughout this forum regarding patient experiences and treatment there. See the thread http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=120.0 to learn more.

There are three major surgical techniques. Translab, which exposes the tumor extremely well and requires less manipulation of any other brain structures, Middle Fossa, an approach used if the tumor is small enough AND situated such that hearing might be saved, and Retrosigmoid, an approach rarely used at House but still used by many surgeons. Rick Friedman was my doctor too...ask him anything and he'll give you a straight answer. I would suggest that you ask him if the Middle Fossa approach is feasible for you...why or why not?

Believe me, there is no cookie cutter approach at House.

Good luck.