Introduction: Surgical resection of benign skull base tumors carries risk of postoperative morbidity.
With decrease in morbidity and mortality, concerns and expectations for surgery have
changed. In this scenario it is essential to assess risk of postoperative morbidity
and incapacity. In the present study, we have validated different outcome tools with
preoperative factors. Patients and Methods: A total of 167 patients from a retrospective and a prospective cohort who underwent
microsurgical resection for vestibular schwannomas between 2001 and 2010 were surveyed.
Preoperative variables such as age, gender, tumor size, and neurological symptoms
were assayed against different outcome measures such as QOL work capacity/independency
(actual work capacity, Karnovsky, independency), facial function (HB and SB), neurological
score (patients and physicians score) in univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: All outcome measures except Eq. 5D showed a significant decrease postoperatively.
Only HB grade differed significantly between the cohorts with a better score in the
prospective cohort. Patient assessed neurological score correlated significantly to
all other outcome measures. Conclusion: Standard QOL instruments may not be sensitive enough to measure outcome after surgery
of benign skull base tumors, work capacity is useful in younger patients but patient
assessed morbidity may be more useful in all patients.
