People with a growing tumor in the inner ear often face a hard choice. When the first surgery does not remove the whole tumor, doctors may suggest a second operation. But does repeating the surgery help, or does it just add danger? A new analysis looked at 359 patients who had tumors come back after their first treatment.
The data shows that doing the surgery again successfully removes the tumor in most cases. No patients in this group had their tumor grow back after the second attempt. This suggests the procedure works for clearing the growth.
However, the second surgery comes with a steeper price. About 43 percent of patients experienced worsening of their facial nerve function. This means some faces drooped or moved less after the operation. Other risks included fluid leaking from the head and needing a drain to manage fluid pressure.
The study relied on older records from many small groups. Because the data came from past charts, some details were missing or reported differently. While the results show repeat surgery controls the tumor, the higher risks mean patients must weigh the benefits carefully before choosing this path again.