Hearing preservation in acoustic neuroma surgery.

With advances in imaging, intracanalicular acoustic neuromas are identified readily in patients including, oftentimes, those with serviceable hearing. Fourteen patients were operated on in an attempt to preserve hearing. Hearing was retained in 10 (71%) of the 14. Serviceable hearing was present in 7 (50%), borderline serviceable hearing in 2 (14%), and nonserviceable hearing in 1 (7%). The problems, advantages, and disadvantages of the differing approaches are discussed.