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Osteoplastic lateral suboccipital approach for acoustic neuroma surgery
1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lübeck, Germany. sepehrni@medinf.mu-luebeck.de
Objective:
Persistent headache remains a significant problem in a small group of patients after acoustic neuroma surgery via the lateral suboccipital approach. We describe a modified technique of osteoplastic lateral suboccipital craniotomy for surgery of the cerebellopontine angle. This simple and elegant technique provides a superior cosmetic result and a significant reduction in patients' symptoms.
Methods:
We report on our series of 75 patients who underwent surgery for acoustic neuroma. The maximal follow-up period was 4 years.
Results:
No patients reported headache postoperatively. Cerebrospinal fluid fistulae were not observed.
Conclusion:
This modified approach minimizes cerebellar retraction, and the neural and vascular structures can be preserved under direct visualization of the tumor. This lateral suboccipital approach is a useful modification of previous approaches in acoustic neuroma surgery. It provides successful tumor resection and excellent functional results.