Perhaps the most well know and certainly one of the most respected clinics in the country is located in your city. House Ear Institute is the destination for many of us from around the country. All of their doctors are good, but I have chosen Dr. Slattery and Dr. Schwartz. They perform micro surgery as a team, one does the opening and sort of creates the path then the surgeon (Schwartz) debulks the tumor. One of the Drs. who was on what many considered the dream team was Rick Friedman. He recently moved to USC where he is head of the AN department. My only concern with the move is that he is has a new partner, he may be great, but I wasn't convinced he has performed the procedure often enough recently to satisfy me. Everyone will tell you "go where they do a lot of these procedures and don't hesitate to ask for a breakdown of their results". You may want to contact both institutions and ask them whether they are willing to look at your MRI and hearing test for an opinion, both will usually do it at no cost.
On a personal note, I was diagnosed on July 29, 2013 with a 2.3 cm AN. After much research and soul searching I have set a date for surgery. I will leave from my home in Clifton, Va. On Tuesday of this week and under go surgery at St. Vincent Medical Center (House Does their work there). Surgery is scheduled for Thursday February 20, that is "this week" yikes! I am a little nervous, but as you will soon learn, I have given myself the best possible chance for a positive out come by choosing House and a great team of doctors and support staff. All the best to you in your AN journey!
