Going to have trans lab surgery

[heart126]

Hi. I have a small tumor about 8mm. I had the Gamma Knife procedure in 2009. It didn't work for me at all and the tumor continued to grow.  I lost all of my hearing in my tumor ear-the right side. That was a blessing because then all of the tinnitus and dizziness went away also. Now, I am preparing to have a trans lab procedure in Miami in a couple of months. I'm overwhelmed with the logistics, getting someone to stay with me, getting insurance coverage, a place for my family to stay while I am hospitalized. I live at least 1 1/2 hours from the hospital.

I hope this procedure will be successful and that I will not have to go through this again. Can anyone tell me what their recovery was like, beginning in the hospital to recovering at home?  Also, how long before you felt well enough to return to work, especially if you have a job that requires you to be on your feet a lot?  Thanks.

[stacey4574]

Hi-
I'm sorry to hear that the Gamma was unsuccessful and you will now be having surgery.  I suffered from tinnitus for 3 years before finally giving in and finding out I have a 2.5cm tumor in my left side.  This board has really been helpful for information and success stories.  I wish you lots of luck on your journey and hope you find a lot of comfort here.  Everyone is open and helpful.
xo

[UpstateNY]

heart126,

Sorry to hear about your regrowth.  The recovery from translab can vary upon many factors including the tumor size, location, your health, the surgeon's experience, etc.  My tumor was almost twice the size of yours when it was removed and my recovery was very quick and painless, although it was also close to the cochlea and away from the brain stem.  You can read my story at the following link:
http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=22581.0

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask or PM me.

[mcrue]

Hi. I have a small tumor about 8mm. I had the Gamma Knife procedure in 2009. It didn't work for me at all and the tumor continued to grow.  I lost all of my hearing in my tumor ear-the right side. That was a blessing because then all of the tinnitus and dizziness went away also.

Wow! That's awesome how all of your tinnitus went away after you lost your hearing on the AN side. I would pay good money to lose my hearing if my tinnitus would go away.

Who performed the Gamma Knife in 2009?

[heart126]

Thank you everyone for your encouraging responses. I am going ahead with the trans lab surgery in the fall once my insurance benefits are calculated and approved.  I was told today that as a result of having had Gamma Knife radiation, the tumor will be more difficult to remove. It will be stickier and there is a chance my facial nerve could be severed. There is less chance of this complication if I remove the tumor now while it is still small, 1.77cm. I really regret having had radiation. But, this is my own unique situation. Gamma Knife seems to work for a lot of people. I am praying for a safe and successful surgery and a good outcome. My Gamma Knife procedure was at Alexian Brothers in Illinois, but my surgery will be in Miami with Dr. Angeli and Dr. Marcos.

[Sheba]

Given that your tumor had had prior radiation - you may want to talk to more than one surgical team, and ask them details on how often they have removed ANs after radiation.   

I don't have any info about your docs - just saying that the advice to pick docs very carefully applies even more so, when you have had prior radiation.

[mcrue]

Dr. Schwartz at the House Clinic in Los Angeles told me he has experience treating so-called "failed radiation" with salvage microsurgery. He also provides free phone consultation and MRI review. There are others who do the same.

Best wishes to you.

[UpstateNY]

To put some data around corrective surgery, the info I have from Dr. Schwartz is that 1.8% of his translab patients with ANs <2cm were for a failed radiation treatment and 0.9% for failed microsurgery.  I don't have data for other surgical methods at the House or other facilities, but this may be useful in the decision process.

He also noted that none of the failed treatments were performed at the House Clinic.