Your doctor will be able to give you more information about this. For people with bilateral tumours, and the risk of total hearing loss, surgery may be delayed if at all possible. In such cases, regular scans will be done to check for any growth of the tumours. Occasionally during surgery the facial nerve may be slightly damaged. This can cause temporary or permanent numbness or palsy of one side of the face.
Facial palsy can cause problems with facial movements, such as chewing and blinking.
Often exercises and massage can help to stimulate facial movement but these should be done under medical supervision. Damage to the facial nerve, which controls blinking, may lead to eye problems, such as dry eyes or difficulty in closing the eye properly. Your doctor can refer you to an eye specialist if necessary. Radiotherapy Radiotherapy treatment, the use of high energy rays to destroy the cancer cells, is occasionally used to treat acoustic neuroma. It may be used if surgery is not possible.