Gamma Knife radiosurgery is now a well-established treatment for acoustic neuroma. Roughly a third of patients need an intervention.
There are two main treatment options – stereotactic surgery using a Gamma Knife or micro neurosurgery. Gamma Knife surgery uses radiation and computer-guided planning to treat brain tumours, vascular malformations and other abnormalities in the brain. Being minimally invasive, it is becoming the preferred treatment option for acoustic neuroma. It also has advantages over microsurgical techniques in terms of hearing and nerve preservation.
Navigating the evidence for the use of stereotactic surgery for acoustic neuromas is complex. The 2017 International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society Practice Guidelines reveal that the majority of the evidence base in support of stereotactic surgery is derived from Gamma Knife technology (28 studies vs 1). The complications and morbidity with stereotactic radiosurgery are far less frequent than those encountered after surgery.
Leading Johannesburg-based neurosurgeon Dr Carle Van Heerden discusses the treatment of acoustic neuroma using Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery.
