Role of Microsurgery for Vestibular Schwannoma in the Radiosurgery Era(<SPECIAL ISSUE>Skull Base Surgery in the Radiosurgery Era)

Abstract

Many patients with vestibular schwannomas are now treated by radiosurgery owing to its less invasivenature and good functional preservation. Tumor control rate is reported to be about 90% or over. However, we should consider the natural course of the disease. Tumor control reported with radiosurgery might include the result of the tumor's natural course. It should be carefully evaluated. In the era of radiosurgery, microsurgery should be refined to obtain comparable or superior results to natural course and radiosuregry. In this paper, some problems related to radiosurgery and advances in microsurgery are discussed.