Story of HEI acoustic neuroma patient Dustin Saunders. Dustin, a forty-year old patient, had been suffering from ear aches, tinnitus, and deafness for approximately ten years and was initially told he had otosclerosis. He had no further evaluation until 2016 when an MRI showed the presence of a vestibular schwannoma. After a series of studies and an increase in size, along with significant dizziness and imbalance, he decided to have the tumor removed. The tumor was removed using the transcochlear approach as it was located in the cochlear, extending into the vestibule and inner auditory canal. Dustin’s total hospital stay was two nights.