Vestibular schwannomas (VS) may cause hearing loss, balance disturbances, facial nerve dysfunction, and other symptoms that substantially affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). As multiple management strategies exist, understanding treatment-specific HRQoL outcomes is essential for patient-centered decision-making....
Clinicians counseling vestibular schwannoma patients on treatment choice should incorporate health-related quality of life evidence from this meta-analysis, which suggests treatment regimen significantly influences patient well-being outcomes.
This is the most comprehensive synthesis to date of quality-of-life outcomes across vestibular schwannoma treatment modalities, directly informing shared decision-making conversations audiologists and surgeons have with patients.
- 01Systematic review and meta-analysis compared HRQoL across surgery, radiotherapy, and observation for vestibular schwannoma.
- 02Significant HRQoL disparities exist between treatment regimens.
- 03Results can inform patient counseling and shared decision-making.
- 04Study is limited by heterogeneity across included studies' outcome measures.
- 05Findings strengthen the case for individualized, patient-centered treatment planning.
Health-related quality of life outcomes differ significantly across different vestibular schwannoma treatment regimens.
studysupported- PMID
- 42111863
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.bas.2026.106074.
- Journal
- Brain and Spine
- Publication type
- meta_analysis
- Evidence level
- 1a
- Population
- Vestibular schwannoma patients under different treatment regimens (surgery, radiation, observation)
- Intervention
- Various vestibular schwannoma treatment regimens (surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, active surveillance)
- Comparator
- Comparison across treatment modalities
Primary outcomes
Health-related quality of life across treatment groups