Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is facial pain due to an abnormality effecting the trigeminal nerve. Often this is due to a small blood vessel compressing the nerve as it leaves the brainstem.
The treatment is usually medication such as tegretol or gabapentin under the care of the neurologists.
When the pain is not controlled with medication, the pain can be treated by neurosurgery. This can be done by microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve through a posterior fossa approach in younger patients. In older patients who may not be able to tolerate a long procedure under anaesthesia we can do a percutaneous balloon rhizotomy.