Division of Neurosurgery

Department of Surgery

Maritime Lateral Skull Base Program

Working together for the best lateral skull base care

Neurosurgeon 
Dr. Simon Walling

Research coordinator 
Andrea Hebb

Contact

Phone:                         902 473-4370

Fax for new referrals:    902 425-9572

 

Team members

Dr. Simon Walling, (Neurosurgery)
Andrea L.O. Hebb, Program Coordinator
Dr. Nael Shoman
Dr. David P. Morris, (Otolaryngology)
Dr. Anne Oonk, Otology Fellow
Jenny Barron, RN

Not in Photo:
Bonita Meade, Clinic Coordinator
Adele Greene, RN, ENT Clinic Nurse
Dr. Liam Mulroy, Radiation Oncology
 

Stereotactic Radiosurgery Team

Dr. Liam Mulroy, Radiation Oncology
Dr. Dorianne Rheaume, Radiation Oncology
Mark Gulliver, Audiologist, Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech
Dr. Marie Earl, Dalhousie University School of Physiotherapy
Maritime Medical Genetics, IWK Health Centre

The Maritime Lateral Skull Base Clinic provides coordinated care through Otolaryngology, Neurosurgery and the Stereotactic Radiotherapy Group to patients with unilateral or bilateral vestibular schwannomas, acoustic neuromas and a range of other lateral skull base tumours.

The program provides coordinated care to over 650 patients with a range of lateral skull base tumours including vestibular schwannomas, other cerebellopontine angle tumours, lesions of the petrous apex and jugular foramen. Patients are carefully assessed and appropriate plans formulated. When treatment is required, the experts on our team provide a full range of treatment options including surgery, Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SRT), balance and hearing rehabilitation.  This program is unique in Canada in allowing members from all disciplines to formulate management decisions in the same clinic.

NF2 Clinics continue to be held once every 2nd month. This clinic is dedicated to patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 and includes collaboration with Medical Genetics, Radiology, Nova  Scotia Hearing and Speech and Ophthalmology

This program, unique to the Maritime Provinces and much of Canada, provides comprehensive care to over 700 patients with Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors in a multidisciplinary clinic. Patients are seen by both Neurosurgery and Otolaryngology. Collaboration with the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Group ensures coordinated assessment, treatment and follow-up.

Our program referrals have increased tremendously, with 47 new Maritime Lateral SBC referrals, to include New Brunswick and PEI, representing a substantial increase in the number of patients seen in 2014 from previous years. 

Program goals

  • To offer a single-centre, multidisciplinary approach
  • To be an internationally recognized centre for lateral skull base lesions
  • To be at the forefront of clinical research in lateral skull base lesions
  • To maintain a detailed database allowing critical appraisal of current treatment strategies
  • To be sensitive to new developments in our specialty allowing us to be critical of our practice and outcomes
  • To change our practice in light of evidence-based research


Lateral skull base research

We have developed research along several fronts, including:

  • What is useful hearing? Speech in noise comprehension with asymmetric hearing in acoustic neuroma subjects: when does the tumour ear stop contributing to binaural hearing
  • A database of tumour growth and outcomes; one of the largest series in the world with the “wait and scan” policy
  • Patient expectations and attitudes to acoustic neuroma – questionnaire for all patients in our database
  • Subjective hearing handicaps measured with standardized instruments
  • Tinnitus and quality-of-life questionnaires with each clinic visit