How long does it take for the trigeminal nerve to recover after microvascular decompression?

A microvascular decompression may require up to four days of hospitalization. Most people return to normal activities in about three weeks but may have to avoid strenuous activities for a while longer.

Is there a cure for GPN?

However, for many patients, medical therapy may not be fully effective. Over time, microvascular decompression (MVD), a surgical procedure, has become an effective treatment for persistent GPN. A majority of patients that undergo MVD achieve long-term pain relief.

How long does microvascular decompression last?

One year after microvascular decompression, 75 percent of the patients had complete relief after the first operation (excellent outcome), and 9 percent had partial relief (good outcome). Ten years after the procedure, 64 percent had excellent results and 4 percent had partial relief (Figure 1A).

How long is microvascular decompression surgery?

The surgeon will then secure a small Teflon pad between the two to keep them from touching. The procedure takes two to three hours. Most patients spend two days in the hospital. You may feel some post-op discomfort, such as headache, nausea or pain at the incision site.

What are the side effects of microvascular decompression?

Microvascular decompression is an invasive procedure, and while safe in expert hands, does have potential rare/infrequent risks, including:

Infection.
Hearing loss, facial numbness, and/or facial weakness (usually temporary, rarely permanent)
Spinal fluid leak.
Difficulty with speech or swallowing.

How do you get rid of glossopharyngeal neuralgia?

The most effective drugs are antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine. Antidepressants may help certain people. In severe cases, when pain is difficult to treat, surgery to take pressure off the glossopharyngeal nerve may be needed. This is called microvascular decompression.

How do you calm the glossopharyngeal nerve?

First-Line Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia Treatment Anti-seizure medication, especially Tegretol and Trileptal, usually provide effective pain relief. Less often, we use neurontin and Lyrica to treat glossopharyngeal neuralgia pain. If patients do not respond to these medications, we may consider other procedures.

How much does microvascular decompression surgery cost?

Forty-eight of these patients underwent microvascular decompression (MVD), 39 underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and seven underwent percutaneous stereotaxic rhizotomy (PSR). The researchers reported that the average weighted cost of surgery was about $40,000 for MVD, $38,000 for SRS and $3,900 for PSR.

Can you have microvascular decompression surgery twice?

The results of the present study demonstrated that repeat surgery can still achieve an excellent outcome in patients with persistent or recurrent pain after MVD.

How long does it take for the trigeminal nerve to recover after microvascular decompression? A microvascular decompression may require up to four days of hospitalization. Most people return to normal activities in about three weeks but may have to avoid strenuous activities for a while longer. Is there a cure for GPN? However, for many…