J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 2016; 77 - FP-13-01
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1592500

Prophylactic Nimodipine Treatment Improves Hearing Outcome after Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery: A Combined Analysis of a Randomized Multicenter Phase III Trial and Its Pilot Study

Christian Scheller 1, Andreas Wienke 2, Marcos Tatagiba 3, Alireza Gharabaghi 3, Kristofer F. Ramina 3, Oliver Ganslandt 4, Barbara Bischoff 5, Cordula Matthies 6, Thomas Westermaier 6, Gregor Antoniadis 7, Maria Teresa Pedro 7, Veit Rohde 8, Kajetan von Eckardstein 8, Thomas Kretschmer 9, Christian Strauss 1
  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
  • 2Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Informatics, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
  • 3Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen, Germany
  • 4Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Stuttgart, Germany
  • 5Neurosurgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
  • 6Department of Neurosurgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Germany
  • 7Department of Neurosurgery, University of Ulm, Germany
  • 8Department of Neurosurgery, University of Göttingen, Germany
  • 9Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oldenburg, Germany

Background: After vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery deterioration of facial and cochlear nerve function are common complications. In clinical routine neuroprotective strategies are still missing. A pilot-study (n = 30) of prophylactic nimodipine and hydroxyethylstarch (HES) showed a beneficial effect on facial and cochlear nerve functions following VS surgery. An analogously performed prospective phase III trial (n = 112) revealed no statistical significant result. However, the risk for postoperative deterioration of hearing was two times lower in the therapy group. Considering the small sample size the data of both studies was pooled.

Methods: The patients of both the monocentric, randomized pilot study and the randomized multicenter phase III trial were assigned to two groups. The therapy group (n = 70) received parenteral nimodipine (1–2 mg/h) and HES (hematocrit 30–35%) from the day before surgery until the seventh postoperative day. The control group (n = 72) was not treated prophylactically. Facial and cochlear nerve functions were documented preoperative, during the inpatient care and one year after surgery.

Results: Pooled raw data from both prospective studies was analyzed retrospectively. Intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis revealed a significant lower risk for hearing loss (class D) twelve months after surgery in the therapy group compared with the control group (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.22–0.97, p = 0.04). After exclusion of patients with preoperative hearing class D this effect was more pronounced (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17–0.83, p = 0.016). Since tumor size was significantly larger in the therapy group, logistic regression analysis was additionally performed. The risk for hearing loss was adjusted four times lower in the therapy group compared with the control group (OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.09–0.65, p = 0.003). Postoperative facial nerve functions were excellent in most patients of both groups. However, both ITT and logistic regression analysis (adjusted for tumor size) were not significant, but pointed to a potential beneficial effect in preventing deterioration of facial nerve function to HB IV-VI. Apart from dose-dependent hypotension (p < 0.001), the study medication was well tolerated.

Conclusion: Prophylactic nimodipine is safe and should be recommended in VS surgery to preserve hearing. Prophylactic treatment with neuroprotective drugs prior to surgeries with nerve tissue at risk seems to be a novel and promising concept.