Program Overview

Medical College of Wisconsin Acoustic Neuroma Program

The Medical College of Wisconsin Acoustic Neuroma Program is a multidisciplinary team of specialists that provides diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuromas. Acoustic neuroma is a non-cancerous tumor located at the base of the brain, originating from one of the balance nerves within the internal auditory canal.

Program Details

• Overview: The cause of acoustic neuromas in most patients is unknown. According to the Acoustic Neuroma Association, estimates of the incidence of symptomatic acoustic neuroma vary from one in every 200,000 people to one in every 3,500 people.
• Surgical Options: The most common option involves microsurgery, in which the tumor is surgically removed. The tumor is accessed through one of three approaches (translabyrinthine, retrosigmoid [suboccipital], or middle cranial fossa).
• Treatment Team: A multidisciplinary team of specialists, including neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, neurologists, radiation oncologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and rehabilitation specialists provide diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuromas.

Surgical Options

• Microsurgery: Microsurgery is performed using high-powered microscopes and delicate surgical instruments. The surgery usually lasts between 4 to 12 hours and involves an experienced neurosurgeon and otolaryngologist (neuro-otologist) team who perform the surgery together.
• Radiosurgery: The second surgical option is radiosurgery, or stereotactic radiation therapy, a non-invasive procedure that uses high-dose-rate radiation to destroy the tumor.
• Fractionated Radiosurgery: The third option is fractionated radiosurgery, in which multiple fractions of radiation-delivered at varying angles-are focused on the tumor site.

Gamma Knife Treatment

• Overview: The Leksell Gamma Knife is an effective, non-invasive alternative or supplemental treatment to traditional brain surgery. This highly sophisticated technology precisely directs focused radiation to specific targets in the brain.
• Conditions Treated: Conditions that can be treated by the Gamma Knife include malignant tumors, benign tumors, vascular abnormalities, and functional disorders.
• Treatment Process: The treatment process involves attaching a lightweight frame to the patient's head, followed by an MRI imaging study or angiography to precisely locate the diseased area.

Specialists

• Stephanie K. Cheok, MD: Assistant Professor
• Gerald J. Harris, MD, FACS: Professor
• John S. Rhee, MD, MPH: Professor; Chair
• Christopher J. Schultz, MD, FACR, FASTRO: Professor

Non-Discrimination Statement

The Medical College of Wisconsin is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic, military status, or other legally protected classification.