2 Year Anniversary (after surgery) pleasant surprise ...!

[rm516]

I finally got my 2nd year MRI for follow-up. Radiologist report came just now and it says:
"Further interval decrease in size the residual right cerebellopontine angle vestibular
schwannoma. Patient is again noted to be status post right retromastoid craniotomy with
for debulking of a vestibular schwannoma. There is residual tumor within the
cerebellopontine angle that measures 1.6 x 1.3 cm x 1.2, decreased from prior where it
measured 1.9 x 1.4 cm x 1.5. There is mild mass effect on the pons without parenchymal
signal abnormality.."
Hey, at this rate, it should disappear within next 5 years!!
Needless to say, I am very happy, beat all odds and saved my hearing even with surgery for 3.2-3.5 cm round AN.
Well, definitely lots of credit goes to my wonderful Nuero surgeon Dr.Michael Sisti @Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, NY.

[CHD63]

Hi rm516 .....

Great news!!  Keep up the good work! 

Clarice

[mcrue]

Most excellent. Congratulations on the good news.

[ANGuy]

Nice job, keep up the good work!

[rm516]

Had follow-up with Dr. Sisti yesterday. He was also pleasantly surprised to see " remaining tumor shrinkage"  to 1.6 cm from 1.9 cm! He thinks probably cutting off blood supplying capillaries during the surgery might have caused the eventual shrinkage. However, he was glad that he didn't ask for GK after surgery as it would have given false/positive results. In other words, we might have attributed shrinkage to GK (if performed). He thinks tumor may not shrink anymore but said that my case might be good for some medical literature. He could not get rid of all tumor in the first place because nerves were running posteriorly and any extra resection would have caused facial paralysis. He still has not seen any "running of posterior nerves" after my surgery in Jan. 2014. He want's to see me after 1 year with new MRI's. Meanwhile, I was asked to enjoy hearing (~50%) on the right side even after initial diagnosis of 3.3X3.2X3.2 cm large AN tumor.