Descending trigeminal tractotomy for trigeminal neuralgia after surgical failure.

Percutaneous rhizotomy, microvascular decompression or rhizotomy by suboccipital craniotomy often cures medically untreatable trigeminal neuralgia with an acceptable complication rate. However, pain involving the same trigeminal distribution persists in a few patients despite both rhizotomies. For 7 patients with such surgically 'failed' trigeminal neuralgia, we performed descending trigeminal tractotomy. In all patients, neuralgia ceased immediately postoperatively and has not recurred during 9 months to 15 years follow-up. Descending trigeminal tractotomy provides a satisfactory solution to this relatively rare but paroxysmal pain syndrome.