Decompression

[Guest guest]

Can someone explain "decompression" to me? is tentatively going to have radiation therapy beginning in January on three tumors (left and right ANs and left jugular fossa tumor). We are like in that we feel we are backed into a corner with no choice in the matter. Yet we feel it IS our choice and we are afraid to make the wrong choice. Our ENT and Neuro both referred us back to the Rad On who feels positive that the tumors will stop growing. The Rad On called and talked to my husband after the last Neuri-oncology conference. He told my husband that some of the doctors in the conference tossed around the idea of surgery, but at last they all concluded we should proceed with radiation because of the size and location of the jugular tumor. Is decompression something that is done only on ANs and what exactly is it? I gather from the posts I have seen that it is done in order to make the tumor smaller, but how is that done?

I look forward to your reply.

Rhonda

[Guest guest]

Well someone else will probably jump in, but I have had a decompression; there is a debulking and a decompression, two different things; in a decompression, they do not touch the tumor, but drill a hole in the bone so the tumor has room to grow up, rather than growing more against the brainstem; it is lessening the pressure on the brainstem? (I am no medical person, so if I am wrong here, someone jump in and correct me); In a debulking, they try to remove the meat of the tumor, but leave the part where the nerves are; this is iffy, and I would think should only be done by an experienced surgeon. Does this help? marie

Decompression

Can someone explain " decompression " to me? is tentatively going to have radiation therapy beginning in January on three tumors (left and right ANs and left jugular fossa tumor). We are like in that we feel we are backed into a corner with no choice in the matter. Yet we feel it IS our choice and we are afraid to make the wrong choice. Our ENT and Neuro both referred us back to the Rad On who feels positive that the tumors will stop growing. The Rad On called and talked to my husband after the last Neuri-oncology conference. He told my husband that some of the doctors in the conference tossed around the idea of surgery, but at last they all concluded we should proceed with radiation because of the size and location of the jugular tumor. Is decompression something that is done only on ANs and what exactly is it? I gather from the posts I have seen that it is done in order to make the tumor smaller, but how is that done?

I look forward to your reply.

Rhonda

[Guest guest]

Well someone else will probably jump in, but I have had a decompression; there is a debulking and a decompression, two different things; in a decompression, they do not touch the tumor, but drill a hole in the bone so the tumor has room to grow up, rather than growing more against the brainstem; it is lessening the pressure on the brainstem? (I am no medical person, so if I am wrong here, someone jump in and correct me); In a debulking, they try to remove the meat of the tumor, but leave the part where the nerves are; this is iffy, and I would think should only be done by an experienced surgeon. Does this help? marie

Decompression

Can someone explain " decompression " to me? is tentatively going to have radiation therapy beginning in January on three tumors (left and right ANs and left jugular fossa tumor). We are like in that we feel we are backed into a corner with no choice in the matter. Yet we feel it IS our choice and we are afraid to make the wrong choice. Our ENT and Neuro both referred us back to the Rad On who feels positive that the tumors will stop growing. The Rad On called and talked to my husband after the last Neuri-oncology conference. He told my husband that some of the doctors in the conference tossed around the idea of surgery, but at last they all concluded we should proceed with radiation because of the size and location of the jugular tumor. Is decompression something that is done only on ANs and what exactly is it? I gather from the posts I have seen that it is done in order to make the tumor smaller, but how is that done?

I look forward to your reply.

Rhonda

[Guest guest]

Well someone else will probably jump in, but I have had a decompression; there is a debulking and a decompression, two different things; in a decompression, they do not touch the tumor, but drill a hole in the bone so the tumor has room to grow up, rather than growing more against the brainstem; it is lessening the pressure on the brainstem? (I am no medical person, so if I am wrong here, someone jump in and correct me); In a debulking, they try to remove the meat of the tumor, but leave the part where the nerves are; this is iffy, and I would think should only be done by an experienced surgeon. Does this help? marie

Decompression

Can someone explain " decompression " to me? is tentatively going to have radiation therapy beginning in January on three tumors (left and right ANs and left jugular fossa tumor). We are like in that we feel we are backed into a corner with no choice in the matter. Yet we feel it IS our choice and we are afraid to make the wrong choice. Our ENT and Neuro both referred us back to the Rad On who feels positive that the tumors will stop growing. The Rad On called and talked to my husband after the last Neuri-oncology conference. He told my husband that some of the doctors in the conference tossed around the idea of surgery, but at last they all concluded we should proceed with radiation because of the size and location of the jugular tumor. Is decompression something that is done only on ANs and what exactly is it? I gather from the posts I have seen that it is done in order to make the tumor smaller, but how is that done?

I look forward to your reply.

Rhonda

[Guest guest]

>Rhonda asked:

>Is decompression something that is done only on ANs and what exactly is it?

I >gather from the posts I have seen that it is done in order to make the

tumor smaller, >but how is that done?

Rhonda,

Decompression is taking the pressure off of the tumor by making more space

for it. This is what had done recently. Her tumor is no smaller

than it was, in fact it now has room to grow but let's all pray that it won't

do that!

Debulking is where they take some of the tumor out but not all of it

because of hazards to the nerve of attempting a complete removal.

I suspect House Ear Institute's website might have a detailed explanation

and may even have diagrams on the subject. HEI had some nice pamphlets

available and I would have liked to have brought a truckload of them home to

send to Crew members. Will be recommending that Gail see if HEI will let her

print one in each NF2 Review until all the NF2 related ones have been

published to us. If not, maybe she can publish a list of what is available

and an address that people can request them from. I felt the three or four I

got were worthwhile and I didn't have time to look at all that were available.

...Donna