Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a short-term "lightning-like" pain that radiates to the face. The pain usually comes with a trigger factor such as eating, drinking, touching, talking or washing the face. The cause of this pain is often arterial pressure on the facial sensory nerve (trigeminus) in the head (between the cerebellum and brainstem). This pain can first be relieved with medication. However, medication does not provide permanent pain control, it only relieves the pain while the medication is being taken. In addition, problems such as the emergence of side effects or the loss of effect of the medication may occur over time. Nevertheless, starting trigeminal neuralgia treatment with medication is the right choice.





In cases where medication treatment is insufficient in trigeminal neuralgia, surgical treatment methods can be effective in relieving the pain. The main methods of these are trigeminal radiofrequency rhizotomy (RF), microvascular decompression, trigeminal glycerol rhizolysis, trigeminal balloon micro-compression and "gamma-knife" applications. The methods with the best known results and proven effectiveness in large case series in relation to these treatment methods are: trigeminal radiofrequency rhizotomy (RF) and microvascular decompression. Other methods may also be effective in treatment; however, they have been applied in smaller groups and are mostly performed on patients in whom other treatment methods have not been effective. Surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia is effective, but they are nervous system interventions that may cause serious side effects; during the interventions, the brain membranes, brain tissue or cranial nerves are worked on closely and therefore must be performed by neurosurgeons (neurosurgery specialists). Information about these two applications is provided below.


Prof. Dr. Ali SAVAŞ

TRİGEMİNAL NEVRALJİ
TRİGEMİNAL RADYOFREKANS RİZOTOMİ (RF)
MİKROVASKULER DEKOMPRESYON (MVD)