THE CEREBELLOPONTINE ANGLE - DOES THE TRANSLABYRINTHINE APPROACH GIVEADEQUATE ACCESS

A long-standing but unfounded criticism of the translabyrinthine appro ach is the misperception that this approach does not give adequate acc ess to the cerebellopontine angle. Because of what is perceived as lim ited visualization and operating space within the cerebellopontine ang le, some surgeons still believe that the translabyrinthine approach is inappropriate for large acoustic tumors. In this study, the surgical access to the cerebellopontine angle by virtue of the translabyrinthin e approach is measured and analyzed. The parameters are compared with those measured for the retrosigmoid approach. This series objectively confirms that the translabyrinthine approach offers the neurotologic s urgeon a shorter operative depth to, the tumor, via a similar-sized cr aniotomy, This permits superior visualization by virtue of a wider ang le of surgical access. Such access is achieved with the merit of minim al cerebellar retraction.