Influence of nerve branch of origin and extracanalicular extension of the tumor on hearing after middle fossa removal of vestibular schwannoma

Neither nerve branch of origin nor extracanalicular (up to 1 cm) extension of a vestibular schwannoma (VS) influence the postoperative hearing outcome in patients operated via a middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach.To test whether the nerve branch of tumor origin and an extracanalicular, up to 1 cm, tumor extension influences hearing outcome after MCF VS surgery.This was a retrospective case review of 50 patients with postoperative pure-tone audiogram (PTA) performed later than 90 days after surgery. Twenty patients had a superior vestibular nerve (SVN) tumor and 27 patients had an inferior vestibular nerve (IVN) tumor. In three patients the nerve branch of origin of the VS could not be uneq…