Surgeries:

Radiosurgery for Acoustic Neuroma

An acoustic neuroma is a non-cancerous tumour that grows on the vestibular nerve: the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain, affecting your balance and hearing. As result, an acoustic neuroma may cause hearing loss, balance loss, numbness of the face, and ringing in the ears.

There is no known cause for an acoustic neuroma, but it is documented that having a parent with the rare genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 2, results in 5% of all acoustic neuroma cases. Bilateral tumours – acoustic neuromas on both sides – often occur in this case[1].

Treatment programs include monitoring, radiation therapy, or surgical removal.

Radiation therapy for acoustic neuroma

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)

Stereotactic radiosurgery uses precisely targeted radiation in a single treatment. Used to treat acoustic neuromas, stereotactic radiosurgery uses advanced technology that is accurate to within one or two millimetres. This minimises its impact on healthy cells.

The treatment is provided in an outpatient setting and involves placement of a stereotactic frame onto the head, accurate imaging of the tumour, planning of the radiation delivery and dose and finally painless delivery of the radiation while resting on a treatment couch.

Radiosurgery has a very high success rate with a 97% tumour control rate (tumour smaller or stable) for tumours less than 3cm.

The risks of radiosurgery are very low and include incomplete tumour control, neurological deficit and secondary tumour.

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT)

In some circumstances the radiation may need to be delivered on several occasions and is called stereotactic radiotherapy. This will allow smaller doses of radiation to be given over time which may be safer in certain circumstances.

 

To learn more about radiosurgery, please make an appointment with Dr Andrew Zacest, and he will indicate if this option is right for you.

[1] Better Health Victoria, n.d.

Radiosurgery for Acoustic Neuroma

An acoustic neuroma is a non-cancerous tumour that grows on the vestibular nerve: the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain, affecting your balance and hearing. As result, an acoustic neuroma may cause hearing loss, balance loss, numbness of the face, and ringing in the ears.

There is no known cause for an acoustic neuroma, but it is documented that having a parent with the rare genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 2, results in 5% of all acoustic neuroma cases. Bilateral tumours – acoustic neuromas on both sides – often occur in this case[1].

Treatment programs include monitoring, radiation therapy, or surgical removal.

Radiation therapy for acoustic neuroma

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)

Stereotactic radiosurgery uses precisely targeted radiation in a single treatment. Used to treat acoustic neuromas, stereotactic radiosurgery uses advanced technology that is accurate to within one or two millimetres. This minimises its impact on healthy cells.

The treatment is provided in an outpatient setting and involves placement of a stereotactic frame onto the head, accurate imaging of the tumour, planning of the radiation delivery and dose and finally painless delivery of the radiation while resting on a treatment couch.

Radiosurgery has a very high success rate with a 97% tumour control rate (tumour smaller or stable) for tumours less than 3cm.

The risks of radiosurgery are very low and include incomplete tumour control, neurological deficit and secondary tumour.

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT)

In some circumstances the radiation may need to be delivered on several occasions and is called stereotactic radiotherapy. This will allow smaller doses of radiation to be given over time which may be safer in certain circumstances.

 

To learn more about radiosurgery, please make an appointment with Dr Andrew Zacest, and he will indicate if this option is right for you.

[1] Better Health Victoria, n.d.