Objectives: To examine whether simple mobility assessments can predict functional limitations and length of hospitalization after acoustic neuroma (AN) resection.
Study design: Prospective case series.
Methods: A prospective clinical study of adult patients undergoing AN resection by either the translabyrinthine, retrosigmoid, or middle fossa approach was conducted at a tertiary center. Preoperative mobility assessments included the functional gait assessment (FGA) and the 10-m walk (10 MW). Postoperatively, the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AMPAC, at 48 hours), FGA, and 10 MW (at 1 week) were obtained. Demographic and medical data were collected.
Results: One hundred and thirty-eight patients were analyzed (mean age: 48.3 years, 68.8% female). Mean length of stay (LOS) was 3.1 days. The translabyrinthine approach was most commonly performed (48.6%). On regression analyses, preoperative FGA (P = 0.03) and 48-hour postoperative AM-PAC (P < 0.001) independently predicted LOS, even after accounting for age, gender, body mass index, and tumor size. On receiver operating characteristic analysis, a preoperative FGA cut score of 25.5 predicted a protracted hospital stay (>4 days) with a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 50% (area under curve: 68.5).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that preoperative mobility assessments can predict functional limitations and LOS after AN resection. These objective tools can be used by clinicians to manage expectations and guide preoperative counseling in patients considering surgery.
Level of evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:644-648, 2021.
Keywords: Acoustic neuroma, dizziness, imbalance, vestibular, predictive factors, length of hospitalization.
© 2020 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.