Does brain tumour surgery treat acoustic neuroma?

The recommended approach depends on tumour size, whether it is growing, current hearing, balance symptoms, general health and how closely the tumour lies beside the hearing and facial nerves. Some acoustic neuromas are monitored or treated in another way instead of being operated on immediately.

An acoustic neuroma, also called a vestibular schwannoma, grows from the nerve involved in hearing and balance. Surgery aims to control the tumour by removing it while protecting nearby brain structures and nerves as far as possible.

Complete removal may be considered when it can be done with an acceptable balance of benefit and harm. A surgeon may intentionally leave a small portion if separating it from the facial nerve, hearing nerve or brainstem would carry too much risk. Follow-up imaging then checks the remaining area.

Bring your scan reports, hearing-test results, medicine list and a note of changes in hearing, ringing in the ear, balance or facial movement. The specialist team can compare these findings with the tumour's position and any earlier scans.

Ask whether the proposed goal is complete removal, partial removal or observation. Discuss the surgical route, the chance of preserving useful hearing, possible facial weakness, balance recovery, rehabilitation and how imaging follow-up would change under each option.

Seek urgent medical assessment for a new seizure, sudden facial weakness, severe or rapidly worsening headache, repeated vomiting, fainting, marked confusion, new difficulty walking or reduced consciousness. After surgery, also follow the team's emergency instructions for fluid leaking from the wound, increasing wound redness, fever or a sudden neurological change.

Which features of my scans and hearing tests support surgery now? What amount of tumour do you expect to remove? How might the operation affect hearing, facial movement and balance? Who should I contact if symptoms change while I am waiting? What rehabilitation and scan schedule might I need afterward?