Samuel Barnett, M.D.
Department of Neurological Surgery
UT Southwestern Medical Center
5303 Harry Hines Blvd.
4th Floor, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75390-9167
214-645-2300
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/patientcare/doctor/findphysician/profile/0,0,69044_Dr_Samuel_Barnett_MD,00.html
Transcript: Balloon Compression Procedure
The balloon compression technique is a very straight-forward procedure. The patient is placed under general anesthesia and after everything is set, the landmarks for the entry point on the cheek are measured out. And under x-ray guidance, the needle is passed to the base of the skull where the nerves penetrate the skull. And again under x-ray guidance, a balloon is inflated to a prescribed pressure and a prescribed length of time to essentially partially crush the nerve fibers which generate numbness in the face. Once that is complete, the balloon is let down, the needle is removed, and the patient is awakened from anesthesia. If the procedure is done properly, the patients wake up with pain relief and some numbness on their face.
One of the biggest advantages of the procedure is that it is done while the patient is under general anesthesia so it is very comfortable to go through as opposed to some of the other percutaneous procedures where the patient needs to be awake during the procedure.