Treating Trigeminal Neuralgia With Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
by groshan fabiola1 in 15,000 people are suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) which causes extreme pain around their face. It is more common among elderly females and can be caused by a brain tumor pressing against the trigeminal nerves. Some cases can be extremely painful while others may subside on their own and not need treatment. Historically, TN has been treated medically which was never as effective or safe as the newer treatments. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been around since the 1970’s and recently has become the preferred treatment for brain tumors.
Gamma knife radiosurgery is a minimally invasive method to treat trigeminal neuralgia. After a magnetic resonance image (MRI) is taken of your brain, the gamma knife uses radiation therapy to inactivate part of the trigeminal nerve. Gamma knife radiosurgery treats the brain tumor without making an incision which means that general anesthesia is not required and the patient can leave the hospital in under five hours. Aside from the effectiveness of the procedure, having an efficient and painless surgery are some of the reasons why gamma knife surgery has become the most popular choice of treatment for TN.
Other treatments for brain tumors exist but when it involves the trigeminal nerves, the gamma knife is now the safest form of treatment. Besides medication, other available operations include: radiofrequency electrocoagulation (RFE), glycerol injection (GLY), balloon microcompression (BMC), and microvascular decompression (MUD). Trigeminal neuralgia radiosurgery is a very serious subject for people looking to undergo treatment which is why the gamma knife surgery is chosen as the preferred treatment by most patients as the most trusted method.
Studies show that 85-90% of patients who undergo trigeminal neuralgia radiosurgery are relieved of their pain post surgery. Only approximately 6% of patients have not had any pain relief. Long term recurrence rates are still unknown but no reports have been made of severe side effects. Trigeminal neuralgia radiosurgery is also a preferable treatment for brain tumors for patients who are medically unfit for the use of general anesthetic.