My background
My name is Harikrishna Sawmy Pillai and I live in Mauritius. I am in the agriculture business and need to drive heavy vehicles like tractors around. And it involves a lot of hard work.
How the TN pain began
I first noticed this pain five years before my surgery. The first time I went to see my neurologist in Mauritius, I told him my problem and he gave me some tablets.
I was prescribed 125 milligrams of Lyrica and 200 milligram of Tegretol to be taken in the morning. And in the evening, 75 milligrams of Lyrica and 200 milligrams of Tegretol. After 2-3 months of taking it I realized that the pain was diminishing a little bit, very very very little.
But after three or four months the pain became more than the first time. I went to see the advanced doctor in Mauritius. He told me “ if you have some relatives or friends abroad, you should go consult a neurosurgeon”.
Increased doses of medication
When I landed in France and visited a neurologist there, I was asked to increase my drug doses. And I was told that they have to be taken life-long like drugs for High Blood Pressure or Diabetes. She did not even want me considering the option of surgery. I took the prescribed doses for five years. Procuring them in Mauritius was difficult because they are not issued without prescription. My sister used to send them to me from France!
Life becomes meaningless because of the pain
Though I was on very high doses of medication, the pain never went away. I never participated in any social gatherings. Never participated in family functions. I never found the enthusiasm to meet my friends and family and enjoy celebrations with them. Sometimes, I never even wanted to sit down to dinner with my family because I did not want them to see me in pain when I ate. I have triplet daughters. They could see their father becoming withdrawn and irritable. Sometimes I needed to be absent from work because of the pain. I drive a tractor, its hard work. The pain worsened everything.
Discovering a way out- MVD surgery
It was about five years after my initial diagnosis that my wife was watching youtube when we chanced upon Dr Jaydev Panchwagh’s channel. We listened to every word he said carefully and at the end, we decided to contact him the very same day. To our pleasant surprise, our call went through and we were put in touch with Dr Panchwagh. A few quick discussions later, our minds were made. Their team arranged for invitation letters and took care of all the paper requirements very promptly.
When we arrived in Pune, and met Dr Jaydev Panchwagh, we were even more convinced to get the surgery done.
The D-day and the days to come
The actual surgery went off uneventfully. The doctor found vessel loops, which he decompressed using a teflon sponge piece. I was free from the Trigeminal Neuralgia pain immediately after surgery. I stopped all my medication as well. My triplets were very happy to talk to me through video calls and to see me relieved of the pain. The entire course during hospital and out-of-hospital stay was well co-ordinated. I did not find any difficulty in recuperating out of hospital. The team never hesitated to help me even for non-medical queries.
I would highly recommend getting MVD surgery done under Dr Jaydev Panchwagh in Pune. He and his team are wonderful and have given me and my family a new lease of life.
Watch Mr Harry unravel his story here at