Trigeminal Neuralgia- a short introduction

“What is Trigeminal Neuralgia surgery ?

This is a very popular question in my outpatient clinic”.

Dr Jaydev Panchawagh is a top neurosurgeon (brain and spine surgeon) in Pune, Maharashtra state in India. Here he discusses how Trigeminal Neuralgia or facial pain disease is caused, and its symptoms and its treatment by MVD surgery.

How is Trigeminal neuralgia diagnosed?

Diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia may not be easy if one has never heard of it. The TN pain is usually like an electric current. It is brought on by brushing teeth or washing face or touching the face, breeze, chewing etc.

Usually in the early stages Trigeminal Neuralgia, pain responds to medication. Sometimes the pain is so severe and debilitating that it is called Suicide disease.

Why is Trigeminal neuralgia caused?

Trigeminal Neuralgia may be caused by compression of the nerve by one or more blood vessels. Dr Jaydev Panchawagh explains here that as the vessel keeps on pumping its pulsations against the nerve for months and years, severity of the disease goes on increasing.

Are medications helpful for Trigeminal neuralgia treatment?

Drugs are only temporary relief givers. Simply speaking, the drugs are just the numbing chemicals. They do not treat the basic cause. These drugs give rise to side effects because they do not “know” that only the nerve is to be numbed. So, they numb the entire nervous system.

In the meanwhile, pulsations continue to hammer the nerve, severity increases and drug doses increase. The person enters into a negative cycle and becomes victim of the drugs on the one hand, and pain on the other.

What causes Trigeminal neuralgia?

What gives best relief for trigeminal neuralgia pain?

This Trigeminal Neuralgia surgery video explains very clearly how there is compression of the Trigeminal nerve by a blood vessel and how it can be treated by MicroVascular Decompression (MVD). The film shows how pulsations cause “short circuiting” inside the nerve and pain is ignited.

What is the surgery for treatment of Trigeminal neuralgia?

 

Dr Jaydev Panchwagh demonstrates MicroVascularDecompression or MVD surgery. Since the main culprit behind TN is one or more blood vessels compressing the trigeminal nerve, a decompression usually helps in relieving pain. He inserts a teflon sponge to separate the nerve and blood vessel, which gives relief from Trigeminal Neuralgia.

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