Removal of acoustic neuroma through the translabyrinthine approach – a medical premiere in the Republic of Moldova

The representatives of the Otorhinolaryngology Department of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova together with a team of doctors from Kiev, Ukraine, performed an intervention to remove the acoustic neuroma through the translabyrinthine approach in a 43-year-old patient.

The intervention is a premiere for the medical system in the Republic of Moldova and took place at Timofei Mosneaga Republican Clinical Hospital of the capital, being carried out by the renowned professors Oleg Borysenko, A.I. Kolomyichenko Institute of Otolaryngology, and Vladimir Fedirko from Romodanov Institute of Neurosurgery, Sergey Borodin, neurosurgeon, Marin Buracovschi, ENT surgeon, and Anastasia Ursachi - doctoral students at the Doctoral School of Medical Sciences, assisted by other colleagues and resident doctors.

Before the operation, the team of doctors, accompanied by Sergiu Vetricean, head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, had a meeting with Nicolae Testemitanu University rector, Professor Emil Ceban, and Alexandru Ferdohleb, vice director of Timofei Mosneaga RCH. The discussion mainly focused on the surgical intervention performed jointly by Ukrainian doctors and professors and on the opinions of experts regarding the result of the Moldovan-Ukrainian collaboration under a collaboration agreement.

According to Professor Sergiu Vetricean, the novelty of the intervention is the removal of the tumor, located at the level of the pontocerebellar angle and the internal auditory canal, through the translabyrinthine approach technique. "Usually, in our country, such interventions are handled by neurosurgeons using the retrosigmoid approach, while otological surgeons from around the world apply the translabyrinthine approach in such tumors. This is why we turned to our colleagues in Kiev, to help us in this regard", stated the head of the department.

Professor Borysenko noted that he had over 30 years of experience in performing interventions in the translabyrinthine approach, which, in his opinion, was a more harmless technique, less traumatic for the patient. "Such interventions have been carried out for a long time in the world, but for us first it was necessary to equip the hospitals and train the staff for this purpose. Today, we are trying to approach tumors from a different perspective, using new equipment. We are interested in young doctors learning this technique," the expert emphasized.

The Ukrainian professor appreciated the equipment in the operating room, which corresponds to the needs of performing this intervention at the highest level. Also, another favorable element is the intervention registration system, which will contribute to the theoretical training of students, resident doctors, etc.

It should be mentioned that the Ukrainian professor Oleg Borysenko participated, two years ago, in an intervention to remove the vestibular schwannoma through the translabyrinthine approach at Diomid Gherman Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of the capital - a premiere for local medicine.