There are a number of surgical techniques, which may be used alone or in combination, for the treatment of schwannomas. Some schwannomas will require just one of these therapies and others will require a combination. Treatments include:
Microsurgery: This is a minimal access surgery requiring the use of ultrasound guidance and lasers. It is the surgical option used by neurosurgeons for schwannoma removal.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery: Without entering the back, neurological surgeons can use stereotactic radiosurgery (highly targeted radiation beams from multiple angles) to treat a schwannoma. This technique is highly effective and minimally invasive. Side effects are usually moderate and limited and the procedure carries a very low risk of infection or other complications that can occur after open surgery. This is a rapidly developing technique, requiring the most highly trained surgeons utilizing the most sophisticated equipment — such as the Gamma Knife, CyberKnife, proton beams, and linear accelerators — and is usually only available in major medical centers. (see Doctors Who Treat Spinal Schwannomas.)
Our Care Team
- Hansen-MacDonald Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Director of Spinal Surgery
- Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, Spinal Surgery
- Co-Director, Spinal Deformity and Scoliosis Program
- Chief of Neurological Surgery, NYP Lower Manhattan
- Clinical Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
- Attending Neurosurgeon
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery, Spine Surgery
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Chairman and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief
- Margaret and Robert J. Hariri, MD ’87, PhD ’87 Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Vice Provost of Business Affairs and Integration
Reviewed by: Eric Elowitz, MD
Last reviewed/last updated: September 2020