Bruce E. Pollock, M.D.
Department of Neurological Surgery
Mayo Clinic
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905
507-538-1564
http://www.mayoclinic.org/bio/12701661.html
Transcript: Comparing classic trigeminal neuralgia surgical options
Where there’s a variety of surgical options available for people with classic trigeminal neuralgia and by that we mean people with an episodic shock-like pain and not a constant component. Certainly when we think of these options, I think you need to think of are we taking away the cause where we would push someone more toward a microvascular decompression or are we headed more toward a destructive approach such as one of the needle based techniques or Radiosurgery.
For younger patients or patients who are older in good medical health, I continue to believe that a microvascular decompression is the best option. It relieves facial pain quickly and we have the opportunity to relieve your pain without causing facial numbness.
With regard to the other destructive procedures, it really comes down to the severity or acuitive of your pain at that moment. If your pain is significant day to day and it’s affecting your ability to eat or drink or do normal things, then Radiosurgery is a bad choice because of the latency required for effect. I personally like a glycerol rhizotomy. I think it’s a gentle approach. But if we have technical issues, I certainly convert over to a balloon compression quite readily.