Microvascular Compression Syndromes

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia, or “Tic Doloroux” is caused by a blood vessel pushing on the fifth cranial nerve at the base of the brain.   Patients have severe pain on one side of the face that is intermittent and exacerbated by touch or irritation of the face.   Although most patients are initially treated with medicine, some patients still have severe pain.   Surgery to relieve this pain is called a microvascular decompression.   Using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques, the surgery is made less traumatic and patients often go home the next day and cure rates are high.

Hemifacial Spasm

Hemifacial spasm is caused by a blood vessel pushing on the seventh cranial nerve at the base of the brain.  Patients have severe spasms on one side of their face that occurs every few seconds.  Some patients can be treated with injection of botulinum toxin into the face which partially paralyzes the muscles and eliminates the spasms.  However, the disease can also be cured with a microvascular decompression using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques.