Treatment of vestibular schwannoma – should you start from the surgery?

Facial nerve neuroma treatment in Germany is aimed at removing the tumor along with preserving the nearby nervous tissue. Typically schwannoma is a benign neoplasm that grows slowly and does not disturb a patient. Nevertheless, schwannoma can also be malignant, with fast growth and risk of the nearby structures compression (brain tissue, vestibular or facial nerve). When selecting the treatment schedule, a doctor always considers type of the neoplasm, its location, size, symptoms and the particular clinical situation.

How does schwannoma reveal itself?

There are no unique symptoms of the vestibular schwannoma. In addition, clinical manifestations depend on the tumor size – small tumor causes no symptoms while a growing one may reveal itself with:

• Balance and coordination disturbances.
• Unsteady gait and dizziness.
• Tinnitus or atypical sounds in the ear on the affected side.
• Loss of hearing, up to complete unilateral deafness.
• Feeling “fullness” in the affected ear.
• Violations of facial sensitivity (in the facial nerve affection).
• Drug-resistant headaches.
• Hampered thinking and concentration.

In order to exclude other conditions with the similar clinical picture, a doctor typically advises to undergo US examination, MRI or CT scan, and biopsy (resection of a tumor tissue during neurosurgery or less invasive sampling with the help of a needle). After the diagnosis confirmation, the individual therapeutic scheme is elaborated.

What treatment options can doctor offer me?

Spectrum of the treatment options is defined by the severity of symptoms, localization and size of schwannoma, and results of histological examination of the tumor sample. For instance, if a tumor is malignant, the surgery is performed as soon as possible.

In patients with small and slow growing schwannomas watchful waiting is applied. Regular imaging with MRI or CT scan provides a doctor with all the necessary data about the dynamics of tumor growth. If necessary, a doctor will recommend proceeding to more active therapy.

Radiation therapy typically includes external irradiation of the neoplasm with high-energy beams. Radiotherapy slows down schwannoma growth and may even lead to tumor shrinking. Irradiation can also follow surgical intervention. In this case it prevents the disease relapse.

Neurosurgical interventions include conventional surgeries and the stereotactic procedures. Conventional removing of the schwannoma is performed via the middle fossa or translabyrinthine approach, that both require craniotomy. One more option is removing a tumor through the external auditory canal, which is more sparing. In stereotactic procedures, a schwannoma is destroyed by the precise beam of irradiation. Stereotactic interventions do not require skull opening and preserve the nerve function.

And what if I prefer receiving therapy abroad?

According to the international statistic data, the most effective treatment of schwannomas with outstanding functional results is carried out in countries with advanced medical systems, like Germany, Spain, and Austria. Thus, patients often travel abroad in search of better diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Planning treatment of schwannoma in Germany or other countries has peculiarities and may seem complicated for a person without relevant experience. It is necessary to take care about receiving treatment invitation from hospitals, issuing visa, booking tickets and accommodation, translating medical documents, issuing medical insurance, controlling the expenses, etc.

To facilitate the process of receiving treatment abroad, you may contact Booking Health. Booking Health is the medical tourism provider with certificate ISO 9001:2015. The company takes care about arranging treatment of schwannoma in the leading hospitals worldwide.

Booking Health reliably assists in hospital selection, issuing travel papers, booking the appointment in the desired hospital, arranging the flight, documents translation and financial issues, etc. Should you leave the request at https://bookinghealth.com/ via the “Send request” form, and you will receive a call from an executive medical advisor within 24 hours.