Trigeminal neuralgia. Surgical treatment by microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve root.

The surgical management of trigeminal neuralgia has always been less than ideal. Evidence accumulated over the last 10 years suggests that the condition is caused by vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve root at the brain stem. Removal of this compression by means of micro-neurosurgical techniques has so far been very effective in relieving the pain of trigeminal neuralgia while maintaining normal facial sensation. A series of 10 patients who underwent this procedure is presented. All patients lost their pain, and during the follow-up period of six to 18 months, there have been no recurrences. This experience further demonstrates that the microvascular decompression is a very useful procedure in selected patients.