Does anyone know??

[Greg M]

Hi, does anyone know of a doctor who does both Gk or Ck and surgery and is willing to do a free phone consultation if I send them my MRI cd??? I know the House in Cali will do that but I heard they are pro surgery and no GF / CF so i want a truly unbiased opinion.. Thanks everybody Greg Oh I found ou my AN is 1.3 x 0.8 x 0.9, so I guess 1.3cm also I guess it's Bilobed? Like two small circles attached to each other....

[sgerrard]

You could try Stanford, Dr. Chang is a neurosurgeon who also does CK, but I'm not sure if they are still doing free consultations - they have gotten very busy. The phone number for information is (650) 736-1134.

It might also be worth looking at the CK patient forum. Dr. Medbery is in Oklahoma, which is a bit far away, but he is a great resource for questions on CK:
http://www.cyberknife.com/ForumLanding.aspx

Steve

[Tumbleweed]

Hi, does anyone know of a doctor who does both Gk or Ck and surgery and is willing to do a free phone consultation if I send them my MRI cd??? I know the House in Cali will do that but I heard they are pro surgery and no GF / CF so i want a truly unbiased opinion.. Thanks everybody Greg Oh I found ou my AN is 1.3 x 0.8 x 0.9, so I guess 1.3cm also I guess it's Bilobed? Like two small circles attached to each other....

Hi, Greg:

Dr. Derald Brackmann at House Ear Clinic looked at my MRI for free and advised me to get radiosurgery. So although House is pro-surgery in many cases, you shouldn't conclude that they will recommend that approach for everyone. Their professional opinion is worth seeking. You can always take it with a grain of salt if you hear from all other consultations you get that CK or GK is the best treatment plan for you and House says surgery would be best. But that's exactly why you should seek out many opinions. They are just that. And if it comes from an expert source -- and is free -- it is totally worth hearing.

The fact that your MRI report cited three measurements doesn't necessarily mean your tumor is bi-lobed. The best MRI reports cite measurements along all three axes of the three-dimensional space occupied by the mass. The first measurement is usually oblique transverse (taken horizontally, from the lateral extent to the medial extent of the tumor); some radiologists will cite that measurement second in the string of three measurements, but you can usually assume the largest of the three measurements is the oblique transverse one in cases where one measurement is quite a bit larger than the others. This is because an acoustic neuroma usually -- but not always -- begins inside the internal auditory canal (IAC) and expands along the horizontal plane into the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) due to being constricted in the other directions by the bony canal of the IAC. ("Oblique" essentially refers to an angled measurement taken at the thickest point of the tumor; hence, the measurement might not be taken exactly along the horizontal plane.) The other two measurements are oblique AP (antero-posterior, or from front-to-back) and oblique craniocaudal (from top to bottom).

Best wishes for peace and healing along your journey.

Tumbleweed

[Greg M]

Thanks Steve and Tumbleweed, thanks for the useful info. I will definitely get an opinion by the house. That's cool to hear that they did recommend radio. I want as many opinions as I can get. Thanks G

[Tumbleweed]

Greg, when talking with House (or any other facility/doctor, for that matter), it's helpful if you tell them what your concerns are. A big concern for me was hearing preservation. Dr. Brackmann concluded from my MRI that my chances of preserving serviceable hearing was "virtually non-existent" if I had my tumor resected. He therefore recommended radiosurgery for me. Had I been deaf on my AN side or not expressed an overriding concern for preserving my hearing, he might have suggested otherwise.

It's up to all of us to express to our doctors what our concerns are and what outcome we hope to achieve through treatment. Only then can the doctor match the patient's needs with the best course of treatment. Don't be afraid to speak up. 

Best wishes,
Tumbleweed

[chocolatetruffle]

hello greg,
actually dr marc schwartz at house also do gamma knife, even though he was my neurosurgeon for my operation (plus brackmann).   so when u speak with house, ask for schwartz for radiosurgery review.  hope this helps and good luck!