Cyberknife- A game changer for acoustic neuroma

Cyberknife- A game changer for acoustic neuroma

ACOUSTIC NEUROMA is growing of tumour which is non- cancerous and its growth is slow.  Generally, it develops on the main nerve that leads to inner ear then to the brain.  Acoustic Neuroma is formed by a type of cells which is known as Schwann cell.  These cells cover most of the nerve cells of the body.  The branches of these nerve affect balance, hearing. The pressure from Acoustic Neuroma can lead to hearing loss, unsteadiness and several other problems.

“The developmental cause of Acoustic Neuroma is still unknown. A rare hereditary disease “Neurofibromatosis” is associated with Acoustic Neuroma. This can be caused due to several factors like Continuous Exposure to loud Noise, radiation on neck and face can lead to Neuroma many years later.  The Person with “Neurofibromatosis” can develop tumours in spinal cord outer parts of the human brain” said Dr. Aditya Gupta, Director, Neurosurgery, Agrim Institute for Neurosciences, Artemis Hospital.

CYBERKNIFE made possible the treatment of Acoustic Neuroma. It is the newest radiation therapy which involves no incisions using the new technology.  The surgery includes advanced robotics, tracking of tumor and imaging capabilities.

“The treatment of Acoustic Neuroma depends on the size of the tumour. This tumour is also known as vestibular schwannoma.  The small tumours which size in between 1.5 cm and 2.5 cm require CYBERKNIFE whereas large tumours which sizes up to 2.5 cm or larger needed surgery.  If the size of the tumour is large then more there will be more medical problems.   Patients treated with this new technology has minimal side effects “he added

Treatment commences with CT scan, and then the image of CT scan is imported in CYBERKNIFE Treatment Planning system. The team plans to treat the tumour with keeping in mind they don’t affect the surrounding sensitive tissues and structures.  The treatment is completely painless.  The whole process involves several sittings and each sitting will take at least 1 hour.

“With the introduction of CYBERKNIFE, hearing can be achieved and preserved in 50-75% of the time.  This temporary numbness and swelling on one side of the face can be 2-3%. CYBERKNIFE Surgery fix tumour in size and it will shrink with a period of time” he further added