Partial Hearing Preservation after Translabyrinthine Vestibular Schwannoma Resection: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Objectives To describe a unique case report of a patient who had partial hearing preservation after translabyrinthine (TL) removal of a vestibular schwannoma (VS). Study Design Case report. Methods The patient's chart was reviewed for hearing levels before and after surgery. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was compared with postoperative MRI for determination of completeness of tumor removal. The literature on hearing preservation after TL resection is reviewed. Results A 42-year-old woman underwent a TL removal of a VS. The patient's preoperative pure tone average (PTA) was 70 dB and word recognition score (WRS) was 40%. Postoperatively, the patient was able to hear ambient noise in the surgical ear. Her bone conduction PTA was 70 dB, but the WRS score dropped to 2%. One year later, she continues to hear ambient noise and sound in the operative ear. Discussion This is the fifth reported case of partial hearing preservation after TL VS resection. It suggests that by preserving the vestibule and the fluids within the vestibule when possible, there maybe enough residual auditory neural structures for a traditional cochlear implant to benefit such a patient. In addition, preserving the incus when possible may help maintain air conduction to help patients with sound localization.