Use of the ultrasonically activated scalpel in acoustic neuroma surgery: preliminary report.

Recently, the ultrasonic activated scalpel (the Harmonic Scalpel, HS) has been introduced in laparoscopic surgery. We have applied the HS in debulking the tumor in the posterior fossa and concluded that this is useful in acoustic neuroma surgery. Fifteen patients with a tumor extending more than 20 mm into the posterior fossa were included in this study. The extended middle cranial fossa approach type II was used in 13 patients and type III (hearing preservation surgery) was used in 2 patients. In one of two patients, hearing was preserved. Postroperative facial nerve function according to the House-Brackmann method was grade I in 12 patients, grade II in 2 patients, and grade III in 1 patient. Compating the technique of using HS to a pair of bipolar forceps and/or ultrasonic cavitational aspirator, the former can result in better preservation of the facial nerve function.