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NEUROSURGERY NEWSA prospective cohort study of microvascular decompression and Gamma Knife surgery in patients with trigeminal neuralgiaA recent publication in the Journal of Neurosurgery (Dec 2008, Vol. 109, No. 6, Pages 160-172) reveals new findings in two surgical procedures used in treating patients living with neuropathic facial pain, also known as trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Microvascular decompression (MVD) and gamma knife surgery (GKS) are the two procedures discussed in this study by Dr. Mark Linskey, Dr. Vaneerat Ratanatharathorn, and Dr. Jose Peñagaricano (The Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences).
In this prospective cohort trial, the authors studied the results of one surgeon's experience with MVD and GKS in 80 consecutive TN patients from 1999 to 2003. Of the 80 TN patients, 45% had MVD and 55% had GKS. The conclusion shows microvascular decompression being significantly superior to gamma knife surgery in achieving and maintaining a pain-free status in patients with TN. MVD also provided similar early and superior longer-term rates of patient satisfaction compared with GKS.
You can access the online abstract here or download the pdf study here. Effective 3/27/2009, the complete study results will also be available at The Facial Pain Association website (formerly the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association). The Facial Pain Association, founded in 1990, is a non-profit voluntary health organization, serving patients worldwide who suffer from neuropathic face pain, including TN, their families, and the physicians, dentists and healthcare providers who treat them.
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HELPFUL LINKS
"www.livingwithtn.org" is a support group website of a collection of people with TN or a family, friend, coworker etc. and is not affiliated in any way with UC Irvine Dept. of Neurosurgery. Unless stated otherwise, members of this website are not doctors. Always consult your doctor about medications and medical advice.