Table 1:

Indications, benefits, and disadvantages of lateral skull base approaches for VS resection

	Translabyrinthine	Retrosigmoid	Middle Fossa
Indications	Unserviceable hearing; any IAC or CPA VS	VS with large CPA component; medial IAC VS	Small lateral IAC VS (<0.5 cm); small medial IAC VS with <1 cm CPA component
Advantages	Minimal brain retraction	Panoramic CPA exposure; better facial nerve and hearing preservation for medial VS	Better exposure, lateral IAC
Disadvantages	Complete hearing loss; difficult approach for CPA VS ventral to porus acusticus; risk for facial nerve injury	Limited access to lateral IAC; potential for cerebellar and brain stem injury	Limited PF access; temporal lobe retraction; risk for facial nerve injury