Surgical approaches for resection of vestibular schwannomas: translabyrinthine, retrosigmoid, and middle fossa approaches

Surgical removal remains one of the key treatment modalities for vestibular schwannomas. A team approach between a neurotologist and a neurosurgeon offers the patient the expertise of both specialties and maximizes the chances for an optimal outcome. Vestibular schwannomas can typically be resected through 1 of 3 main surgical approaches: the translabyrinthine, the retrosigmoid, or the middle fossa approaches. In this report and videos, the authors describe and illustrate the indications and surgical techniques for the removal of these tumors. (http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2012.6.FOCUS12190)