SBI Surgery behind me.

[boomer]

Hi everybody.  I’m back from Skull Base Institute where I had endoscopic AN removal plus endoscopic decompression of trigeminal nerve.  So far I have no complaints.  My AN at removal was 15.5 mm which is considered a small one.  With this approach instead of the one of the conventual approaches  the scalp incision was only 2.5 cm and the AN was also dissected off the facial nerve with no complications at all.  After this was done Dr. Shahinian attention was shifted to the trigeminal nerve and noted a loop of the superior cerebella artery was  compressing it.    Again using micro dissection technique a piece of Teflon was placed between the artery and the nerve which was causing some of my teeth pain on the right side as well.
This surgery was on Feb 4, 2009 and was in operation for 5 hours and released from the hospital within 48 hours.  That was great!  I stayed in LA for 7 days just because I wanted to be sure everything was OK before flying back to Kansas.   My walking wasn’t the best and I tired rather easily but nothing to complain about.  The flight didn’t bother me but I did use a wheel chair in the airport just to be on the safe side. 
   I have been home for 3 days now and  have had a few vision problems after working on the computer or reading for awhile. Things get blurry and the walls move for about a minute before focusing in.
I will be calling Monday to check this out if it continues.  With this endoscopic surgery Dr. Shahinian says I will be back to normal in 3 weeks.  My only really hard part is sleeping at a 45 degree angle so the brain doesn’t swell and then I would bet sever headaches.  I have never ever been able to sleep in a recliner, but I’m learning.  <g>
   For those researching  options  this procedure is worth checking into.  Less invasive, less hospital time and less recovery time.  I would be willing to visit with anyone who might like more information.

Boomer

[sgerrard]

Good work, Boomer! Congratulations on what sounds like an excellent outcome. This endoscopic surgery is starting to sound good, and I'm a radiation guy.

Enjoy your Lazy Boy recliner, and watch out, you may grow to like to it. 

Steve

[wendysig]

Welcome home Boomer!

It sounds like everything really went great!  It sounds like endoscopic surgery may be the wave of the future for those who choose surgery over radiiosurgery.  I'm truly glad to hear you sounding so well.  Fatigue is to be expected with any surgery but I would guess AN/brain surgery would make it  even more of a certainty. Although I did't have a lot of trouble sleeping in my bed after I got home,  I  found sleeping on the recliner section of the sofa much more comfortable for naps during the day.  Kkeep us posted on your progress.

Best wishes,
Wendy

[Jim Scott]

Hey, Boomer ~

Congratulations on your endoscopic surgery success!  I'm pleased to learn that you're recovering, nicely.  Had endoscopic AN removal surgery been readily available in 2006, I would have opted for it.  It seems to be the new wave in AN surgery.  I hope and will pray that your recovery continues uncomplicated and you can regain normalcy, soon. 

Jim

[MAlegant]

Great to hear you're home and doing well.  Sleep was really rough for me as well.  I bought a pregnancy pillow which prevented me from turning onto the wrong side.  It helped, but nothing helped more than time.
Best,
Marci

[Seal]

Boomer,

Congratulations on a successful AN removal.    To be out of the  hospitol in onl 48 hours as well as home in less than a week must feel GREAT!     Best wishes for a speedy recovery. 

Jim,   do you have any particular reasons why you would have opted for this new procedure over the translab approach?     I assume it has to do with recovery time maybe?

Steve

[highlife]

Boomer:
Thanks for the note!  We were all wondering about you.  Your news really gives me more confidence about my surgery at SBI on March 4.  I am so happy you came out well on the other side of this.  Keep in touch about the eye issues and your recovery.
Steph

[leapyrtwins]

Boomer -

glad to hear things went well for you.

Best wishes for the remainder of your recovery!

Jan

[Helga]

First of all, I am very happy for you! Second, just a question about SBI. It sounded very worth investigating to me and I asked in Dr. McKenna's office about the endoscopic surgery option and SBI. Unless I got the answer completely wrong, it sounded quite negative. Of course, as a surgeon he may be reluctant to sing the praises of another facility/surgeon. Any comments?
Thanks, Helga

[kenneth_k]

Hi Boomer.

Welcome home and congratulations on your succesfull surgery.
I wish you a speedy recovery. Just remember not to pace it to much.

Kenneth

[highlife]

Helga:
I think it's pretty common to hear those negative things from other docs.  For one thing, Shahinian doesn't use the standard protocol of a neurosurgeon and an ENT doing the surgery.  The doc I consulted with at Mayo called it a "gimmick".  I don't think a dime sized hole in my head, no retraction of the brain, and a 48 hour hospital stay are gimmicks. I resent the doc giving me that kind of info, when I can only attribute it to medical politics.
I think Dr. Shahinian (SBI) developed the technique and uses endoscopic for all skull base tumors.  Look through their website.  Look carefully at his training and experience, research.
I'm scheduled March 4.
Steph

[dasanti]

Wow! This is really great in comparaison with my 10 days ICU stay a 48 hours discharge sounds like Heaven. Was it a total resection?

I am so glab for you!

Dan

[rkks]

Hey Boomer,

Welcome back home and it's great to hear that your surgery went well!  It sounds as though your experience was exactly like that of our son's surgery.  48 hours after surgery he was released from the hospital and 48 hours after that he was completely released by Dr. Shahinian.  We were back home in western Kansas on a Saturday, only 5 days after surgery!

Jared's surgery was on Dec. 29, 2008 and he was back in college for the start of the second semester on Jan. 15, 2009.  Jared is now driving his car, playing intramural basketball, weight lifting/work outs, volunteer work for a hospital, attending classes, etc...  Basically he is back to his normal self, sans the hearing in his right ear.

Like others, we too were told by competing surgeons that the endoscopic approach was too dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.  Medical politics, indeed!!!!

Take care.

Ron & Karen
 

[Jim Scott]

Jim,   do you have any particular reasons why you would have opted for this new procedure over the translab approach?     I assume it has to do with recovery time maybe?

Steve ~

I underwent the retrosigmoid approach microsurgery and it was quite successful, but I would have preferred having no surgery at all.  That wasn't possible in my case.  My tumor was too big for irradiation, alone, so I underwent debulking surgery, then, radiation.  As it all went well with almost no problems, I certainly can't complain.  However, endoscopic surgery would have, very likely, been easier.  In 2006, it was very 'new' (for ANs) and my neurosurgeon was certainly not an endoscopic surgery practitioner.  As you guessed, I expect that my recovery, which was rapid, would have been even faster with endoscopic surgery.  I'm pleased to see that the use of endoscopic surgery on acoustic neuromas is progressing and that AN patients are benefiting from this type of surgical procedure.  Still, I don't regret going the route I took as it worked out just fine.  However, I support endoscopic surgery where available and feasible for the patient.  I'm waiting to see the long-term results, of course, but I trust they'll be positive.

Jim

[Seal]

Hi Jim,

I had an interesting consultation with SBI today.    The  most interesting part of the consult was about what is resected and what is not.     The doctor only takes the superior vestibular nerve and nothing else.    This is assuming that only that nerve is involved.     As I understand, translab surgery takes eveything in sight from the vestibular, to the cochlear, to an other nerves with the exception of the facial nerve so that motor ops in the face are preserved.       In the endoscopic approach, they only take what they need to take to remove the tumor.   Of course there is the obvious advantage that this procedure only leaves a dime size hole in the skull as compared to a large chunk of skull with translab.    This definitely helps in the faster recovery time.     However, the fact that they leave the other nerves seems to say that there "potentially" is the opportunity of these other stretched nerves to regenerate over time and restore themselves.      In my case, the hearing is gone and I will be SSD.   However, there is the possibility that the trigeminal nerve will restor itself and I will have restoration of feeling in my face.       I know that nerves, given time, will regenerate.     I was in a bad biking accident a few years back and lost nerve feeling in my left hip.      It took between 2-6 months, but I eventually regained feeling in the area of my left hip.    So I know that its' possible.   

I think this is an important difference to note between translab and endoscopic in my opinion.   

Steve