Hi, Monnie:
I'm sorry you have a reason to be here (a diagnosis of an acoustic neuroma tumor) but glad you found this site and forum pages. I think you'll find us helpful.
![Smiley :)](https://www.anausa.org/smf/Smileys/classic/smiley.gif)
There is a lot of AN information here and elsewhere on the internet. Just type
'acoustic neuroma' into a search engine and you'll get quite a few pages of website links. Frankly, I believe this site is the best and these forums, populated by folks who either have or had an acoustic neuroma, are invaluable . We go beyond the clinical aspects of having an AN and help provide more practical information, especially helpful to the newly diagnosed, like you.
'Trans Lab' is a common surgical procedure used to remove an acoustic neuroma tumor. It is generally very successful. However, the hard truth is that any AN case is always a minefield, of sorts. Any doctor will tell you that this kind of delicate surgery carries some degree of risk. The risks are relatively small, but they do exist. After all, the surgeon is drilling into your skull and removing what is often a 'sticky' substance that is sometimes wrapped around vital nerves. You certainly need to have confidence in your doctors and know that they have the experience and skill to perform this operation successfully, which includes a minimum of post-op complications. Many of the posters here - including me - have undergone AN surgery and experienced a successful outcome. We encourage you to read our stories for support.
To answer your question regarding tinnitus: frankly, you'll very likely continue to have tinnitus even after surgery, as most post-op AN patients do. It may subside a bit, but it rarely disappears. However, imbalance issues usually do go away, although sometimes you need some therapy to get back to normal. In any case, recovery from AN surgery, even an easy recovery, is measured in weeks, not days and sometime in months. The good news is that you
will recover and that what you have - an acoustic neuroma tumor - is benign and treatable.
We stand ready to answer what questions we can and to offer support and advice if you need or want it.
Jim