Anyone else diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, a benign brain tumor?

@cinlu, it's a lot to take in having 2 conditions and 2 head surgeries in quick succession. You may also be interested in these related discussions about NPH;
- What's the latest normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) research https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/normal-pressure-hydrocephalus-2/

- Had Surgery for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)? Are you glad https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/if-you-have-had-surgery-for-nph-are-you-glad/

Cinlu, how was your recovery from the shunt placement? Do you have questions about your upcoming surgery in February?

I had a consultation last week. The doc described the tumor as schwannoma, though not specifically an acoustic neuroma. He recommended surgery or radiation. The MRI was the best test available. A talk with another doc happens on Monday.

On this forum people said they were told that a 2% chance of some other tumor happening from radiation. I asked about it; he said it's a pretty low dose, and the chance is about 2/10ths of 1%.

Thank you Colleen.
My shunt placement on December 9th was sidelined with the Neurosurgeon knicking my liver when he was sending the tubing to the. peritoneal area and needed a general surgeon to perform an emergency to stop the bleeding. Have had intense pain since in the liver area but shunt is healing nicely.
I have been to the surgeons office, had an xray and to the Emergency Room, had a CT Scan with contrast. Doctors can’t seem to find an answer. Have to be on pain meds to control the pain.

Gamma knife work scheduled for the last week of the month.

Our daughter is working for an American company and living in Poland for a few years. She is 35 years old and has been diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma. She has found a doctor in Warsaw who appears to be THE one guy in all of Europe that you would want to do this surgery. His name is Dr. Kazimierz Niemczyk. He is highly recommended and passes the "online research" test. He has said that the neuroma is quite manageable and is recommending surgery, not radiation. He is saying that it is not necessary to go inside the skull to do the surgery. We feel quite comfortable with this doctor but just would like to have the peace of mind of a specialist at Mayo checking this doctor out and giving us their impression of him and his reputation. We are NOT looking for a second opinion at this stage. Is this a reasonable question to ask? Thank you!

@brchristian, if you would like an opinion from Mayo Clinic experts about the treatment recommended by your daughter's doctor in Poland, you can submit a request here: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63 This is, by any other name, a second opinion. 🙂

I can imagine you are concerned about your daughter going through this so far away. Thank goodness there is an expert where she lives. When is she expected to have surgery?

Thanks Colleen. I will check the link. The surgery is scheduled for April 13. They are asking her to be prepared to stay in the hospital for observation for another 7-10 days. Fortunately, we are able to fly over and be there with her for the duration. Brian

By the way, maybe you can save me some time. If I follow up with the Mayo Clinic for an opinion, are they going to require that the patient be present at the clinic for the consultation? That is not possible to do.