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Is MVD surgery risky?

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Is MVD surgery risky?

This is a transcript of an interview with Dr Jaydev Panchwagh, neurosurgeon. This was aired on TV. He is the Director of the MVD Centre in Pune.

Trigeminal Neuralgia: General Information

Interviewer: Doctor, I read up some articles on Trigeminal Neuralgia before this interview. It appears that the patients are affected by a very severe kind of pain in the face.

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh: Yes!! The pain is so severe and comes so suddenly that some patients even contemplate suicide!! The pain is variously described as sharp, stabbing, burning, shock-like etc.

Trigeminal Neuralgia: Treatment choices

Interviewer: I also read that there are many kinds of treatments available, but none really effective. Is that correct?

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh: Treatment of Trigeminal neuralgia is usually started with medicines (tegretol, Carbamazepine). Initially they are effective. But over a period of time, the pain takes over. We need to increase medicine doses. The pain gets controlled. Then over the next few months, medicines lose their effectiveness. The doses need to be further increased or medicines changed. This goes on till the pain becomes unbearable or the medicine’s side effects are not tolerated. The patient then has to consider other options. But in our MVD Centre, we often give the option of surgery before very high doses of medicines are reached. Because, the side effects are at this time unacceptable.

There are other treatment options like RFLG,  nerve Blocks ,  balloon compression , or Gamma knife radiation but my particular preference has generally always been MVD surgery.

Trigeminal Neuralgia: MVD surgery

Interviewer: So, is MVD surgery a brain surgery?

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh: Yes, MVD or MicroVascular Decompression surgery is a brain surgery. The operation is performed where the Trigeminal nerve exits from the brainstem. It is in a very deep part of the brain.

Interviewer: Is MVD surgery risky?

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh: It is fairly safe in the hands of an experienced surgeon. The more MVD surgeries one performs, the more comfortable one becomes with the anatomy there. We become more aware of what to expect, what to do, what not to do. So the chances of success in the surgery also is much higher than in the hands of an inexperienced surgeon. This is one of the reasons why MVD surgery is best done at Centres which have a high volume of these surgeries. 

Why experienced neurosurgeon matters?

The patient must therefore find out how many such surgeries the surgeon has performed. The potential risks could be infection, bleeding, hearing loss, facial numbness, and/or facial weakness (generally temporary),  CSF leak, difficulty to talk/ swallow, stroke/ paralysis/risk to life (extremely rare).

Interviewer: Doctor, how many MVD surgeries have you performed so far?

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh: I have performed more than 1600 surgeries so far (from 2002 to 2022). You can access the testimonials of some of the patients here.

Interviewer: What is the aim of MVD surgery?

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh: The final goal is to prevent pain that arises because of compression of the Trigeminal Nerve either by a blood vessel or by brain tumors.

Interviewer: Is MVD performed for treatment of Trigeminal neuralgia alone?

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh: No, MVD can be performed for treatment of Hemifacial spasm ( affecting the Facial nerve) or Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia(affecting the glossopharyngeal nerve). You can know more about this in my video explaining Hemifacial spasm symptoms and causes.

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You may watch this video to know more about Glossopharyngeal neuralgia .

 

What is Trigeminal neuralgia?

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What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic facial pain caused by a hyperactivity disorder of the Trigeminal nerve. In simple words, it is a symptom of Trigeminal nerve compression. This compression could be caused by a blood vessel or by a tumor, among many other causes. TN  pain is severe and is generally treated with medicines, initially.

What is the trigeminal nerve?

Trigeminal nerve is the fifth nerve which is given off from the brain. It is a cranial nerve. This is a sensory as well as motor nerve. It means that the nerve supplies sensation to the face and the motor component supplies muscles of chewing.

What is the commonest presentation of trigeminal neuralgia?

Commonly TN pain begins after some form of dental treatment, either an extraction or root canal work. However, the dental work actually is only a trigger, not the cause. Other triggers for the trigeminal neuralgia pain are brushing, eating, talking, shaving, touching etc.

Can Trigeminal neuralgia be associated with ear pain?

Yes. TN itself can cause ear pain; but it may also be associated with Glossopharyngeal neuralgia which can also be the cause of ear pain.

How is the pain of Trigeminal neuralgia?

The patient has severe electric shock like or lightning like pain in the eye, cheek, gums or jaws. Mostly, this disorder is diagnosed late. Thus the patient suffers for many years before they are told their diagnosis. It is frequently mistaken for migraine, dental pain or ear pain. MRI is performed to support the clinical diagnosis.

Can MVD be done after RFLG?

Yes, but a primary MVD always gives better success. Radio Frequency Lesioning or ablation of the trigeminal nerve is a destructive procedure. MVD surgery is a nerve-preserving procedure.

Who performs the MVD surgery?

MicroVascular Decompression (MVD) surgery is a brain surgery and is performed by a neurosurgeon. An experienced neurosurgeon gives the best results, better success rates and lower chances of risks.

Can we get any patient testimonials or their experiences?

Sure. Please click here to read and watch videos of patient experiences. All these patients have been operated by our team, at the MVD Centre. You can click here to read more Frequently Asked Questions on Trigeminal neuralgia and MVD surgery. You can visit the home page of this website on trigeminal neuralgia treatment by clicking here.

Who runs the MVD Centre?

The MVD centre is in Pune. The Director is Dr Jaydev Panchwagh, who has an experience of more than 30 years in the field of neurosurgery. His passion in the specialty is MVD surgery.

 

Symptoms of Trigeminal neuralgia

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Symptoms of trigeminal Neuralgia:

Symptoms of trigeminal Neuralgia are generally electric shock-like pain in the face. This could be in the forehead, eye, cheek, nose, upper or lower jaw areas.

What are the triggers for face pain or trigeminal neuralgia?

Typically the triggers that set off an episode of Facial pain are touching, brushing, shaving, chewing and talking.

 

 

How does an attack of Trigeminal Neuralgia look like?

This pain is so severe and horrible that it is called the suicide disease! Watch this video to see how the TN attack looks.

Can Trigeminal neuralgia pain be treated ?

The good news is, Yes!!  Though medical treatment is the mainstay, especially in the initial phases of the disease, medicines soon become ineffective. Occasionally, the patient has a pain holiday and comes to believe that his/her pain has been cured. But it comes back with a vengeance, and this is the time that most patients usually seek permanent treatment.

Do I need to visit a neurologist or neurosurgeon to treat Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Initially, after the diagnosis of Trigeminal neuralgia is made, the patient is referred to a neurologist, to start medical therapy. The neurologist adjusts the doses as necessary, and helps the patient understand how to time the doses to get best pain relief. The neurosurgeon is involved when the patient no longer finds medication useful, or when the side-effects of medicines are unbearable. The neurosurgeon then offers Microvascular Decompression surgery as a possible permanent treatment.

Is Dr Jaydev Panchwagh an MVD Specialist?

Yes. Dr Jaydev Panchwagh is a neurosurgeon practising in Pune, Maharashtra. He is passionate about treating Trigeminal neuralgia and Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia. With the aim of focusing on the treatment of this deadly pain, he has been instrumental in putting together a dedicated team. He is the Founder-Director of the Centre Of Excellence for MVD surgery. It is perhaps the only one of its kind in India.

Trigeminal Neuralgia-living and leaving. My story

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Trigeminal Neuralgia-living and leaving. My story.

In this story, the patient describes how he had severe pain, how he was resigned to accepting his fate, living with the pain, and how MVD surgery was a life-changing experience for him.

Why a Trigeminal Neuralgia specialist?

Trigeminal Neuralgia treatment in India is well established, especially for medical management. There are a few neurosurgeons who perform MVD surgery for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia; Dr Jaydev Panchwagh is a trigeminal neuralgia specialist doctor who is Director of the centre of excellence for MVD surgery. He has an experience of more than 1400 MVD surgeries in the last 20 years.

Trigeminal neuralgia attack and its treatment

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Trigeminal Neuralgia attack and its treatment

Trigeminal Neuralgia attack can be very severe and frequent as the disease progresses, and its treatment at that point in time may be very frustrating. It is when such attacks become frequent that the patient generally tend to take decisions about getting MVD surgery done. In this video, a patient shares her experience during one such attack and how she suffered through it. She also describes how her life changed for the better after she became pain-free after MVD surgery. Dr Jaydev Panchwagh, an eminent neurosurgeon and an internationally acclaimed one performed this Microvascular Decompression (MVD) surgery on her. Having performed more than 1350 MVD surgeries, at his MVD centre in Pune, India, he has a considerable experience in treating Trigeminal Neuralgia. The MVD centre also caters to international patients and has a support group.

Is Trigeminal Neuralgia serious?

The honest answer is yes and no. By itself it does not harm life, (except in cases of C-P angle Tumor) but the disease itself can be so debilitating, and its medical treatment so very challenging, that the patient often considers ending their life because of the pain and the fear of an upcoming TN attack. Click here to read more about the disease.

Trigeminal Neuralgia (Facial Pain) diagnosis

Electric shock-like pain in any or all of the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve brought about by trigger factors usually establishes the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia.

Trigeminal neuralgia causes

The pain of trigeminal neuralgia is usually caused by one or more blood vessel compression on the trigeminal nerve or a C-P angle tumor (Cerebellopontine angle tumor). There can of course be other causes. Click here to know more.

 

Trigeminal Neuralgia attack

The pain in Trigeminal neuralgia manifests as attacks of facial pain generally brought about by trigger factors like talking, brushing teeth, eating etc. The patients experience electric-shock like pain during the trigeminal neuralgia attack. The pain may have different manifestations in different people. click here to know more about Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms.

Trigeminal neuralgia treatment

Though there are many options for treatment of Trigeminal neuralgia including medications, Radiofrequency lesioning (RFLG) etc, Microvascular decompression surgery is the only shot at achieving a possible permanent cure.

Treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia by MVD surgery

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Treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia by MVD Surgery is a well-established option. MVD stands for Micro Vascular Decompression. This means that a microscope (with or without an endoscope) is used to decompress the Trigeminal Nerve from one or more blood vessels compressing it. The Micro Vascular Decompression is most often done using one or pieces of Teflon sponge.

Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment by MVD surgery- a patient’s story in Hindi

This is a video testimonial of a patient who came to our MVD Centre from the United Kingdom for treatment of his Trigeminal neuralgia. He talks about the trigger factors that started his facial pain. He also talks about how he is pain free after MVD surgery. Please click here for other video testimonials.

If you want to watch MVD surgery and how it is done, please click here. You can go to our Home page to get all information about Trigeminal neuralgia.

Initially he faced facial numbness, but that gradually went away with time.

Dr Jaydev Panchwagh is an internationally acclaimed neurosurgeon who operates at the MVD Centre in Pune. He and his team have an experience of more than twenty years in dealing with patients of Trigeminal Neuralgia. There is a good support system in place for international patients as well. The centre also has a support group for Trigeminal neuralgia patients.

Microvascular decompression for TN

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Microvascular decompression for TN is a potentially curative surgery and can be a permanent solution.

In this video on treatment of Trigeminal neuralgia with Microvascular decompression surgery, a patient shares his experience 2 years later. Many questions like What is the main cause of Trigeminal neuralgia? and what is the best treatment of trigeminal neuralgia are answered. Do watch the entire video for all the answers.

He says “The pain of Trigeminal neuralgia was severe enough to contemplate suicide. It started suddenly, without warning, electric shock-like. And when I got the TN attacks, people around me would wonder what happened to me so suddenly? Medical treatment made me have memory loss and loss of balance. And it also made me very drowsy and numb. The medicines stopped having effect on my pain later on. Only the side-effects persisted because I was increasing my doses to get pain relief from my facial pain attacks.”

MVD surgery for Trigeminal neuralgia

Microvascular Decompression for TN is one of the many procedures that can be done to cure the pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia. However, this is the only possibly permanent treatment. The highest rate of success is in experienced hands. In this surgery a teflon piece is inserted between the blood vessel(s) and nerve to prevent compression.

You can listen to other patient experiences here:

 

Dr Jaydev Panchwagh is the founder-Director of the MVD Centre in Pune. He is a well-established neurosurgeon of national and international repute. He is also founder-member of Synapse brain and Spine Foundation.

Pain relief after MVD operation

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Pain relief after MVD operation: How long does it last?

It is generally permanent or at least very long-lasting.

Here is the experience through a video testimonial of two patients who underwent Microvascular Decompression surgery or MVD operation in 2017. This video was recorded 3 years after their surgery.

What are the aims of MVD operation?

Pain relief is the primary aim after MVD operation. Reducing or complete cessation of medication is a secondary benefit.

What kind of pain relief may be expected after MVD operation?

The pain of Trigeminal neuralgia is generally electric-shock like and is episodic, brought on by trigger factors. The relief after a successful MVD operation is immediate, and complete.

This means that the patient will  now not experience any trigger factors.  He/she is able to eat, talk, brush teeth, wipe face, shave, apply make-up etc. without experiencing facial pain. Sometimes after MVD surgery, there may be a temporary facial numbness as the trigeminal nerve is healing itself from the pre-operative short-circuiting.

What are some of the FAQs regarding Trigeminal neuralgia or MVD operation?

There are plenty of questions and you will find the answers here.

Who performs the MVD operation at the MVD Centre, Pune?

Dr Jaydev Panchwagh is the neurosurgeon (brain surgeon) who performs all MVD operations in the MVD Centre in Pune.

A single-surgeon experience of more than 1380 surgeries is phenomenal, considering that this disease is not very common.

Where can I read more about other patient experiences at the MVD Centre in Pune?

There is a support group, which you can get in touch with if you contact us. We can link you up with other patients or share their testimonials.

Where is Pune?

Pune is a big, thriving city about 100 kilometers from Mumbai. It is well-connected by airports and trains. It has multi cuisine restaurants, and is very cosmopolitan.

There are plenty of international students in Pune, which is also considered an educational hub in India. International medical tourism is also popular in this city.

 

 

 

Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain Relief

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‘Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain Relief has been the single-most wonderful thing in the last month of my life!! The pain was so bad before the operation, I could not eat, sleep or drink, even talk. And then I underwent Microvascular Decompression surgery or MVD surgery.

Now that my pain is relieved, I feel like laughing, dancing, singing…..I am so ecstatic. I feel that no patient should needlessly suffer the pain.

For me, the Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain relief was so immediate, that I would highly recommend it to all other sufferers. I had visited many doctors, many neurologists, many experts, not only in Mumbai but also other cities and states. But I did not get the confidence that I could be treated well.

Dr Jaydev Panchwagh is an expert in treatment of Trigeminal neuralgia. He is a neurosurgeon based out of Pune. He has an entire team working with him for the last twenty years, that each one on the team has a big role to play in the recovery of the patient.

I have been supported so well during this incredible journey of Trigeminal neuralgia pain relief that I would highly recommend anyone to please visit him at least once.

I too was afraid of surgery before, but after listening to other peoples experiences and reading their testimonials, and talking to them, watching his Youtube videos, I became confident”.