The effi ciency of micro-vascular decompression versus micro-vascular decompression with partial sensory rhizotomy for classical trigeminal neuralgia - a retrospective analysis of 58 patients.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the eff ectiveness of micro-vascular decompression (MVD) with or without partial sensory rhizotomy (PSR) in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia which is refractory to medical and functional treatments. Materials and methods: Fifty-eight patients who were dia gnosed with classical trigeminal neuralgia and underwent posterior fossa decompression surgery from 2010 to 2016 by the same surgeon were included in the study. There were two groups of patients, according to operation type, with 30 (51.7%) patients treated with MVD and 28 (48.2%) treated with MVD + PSR. Records were analysed retrospectively for intraoperative fi ndings, pain intensity scores, recurrence of pain, postoperative results and complications. Results: In the early postoperative period, immediate pain relief was similar between the groups. The recurrence rate 36 months after surgery in the MVD and MVD + PSR groups was 23.3 and 7.1%, respectively. The pain-free survival time in the MVD group was 31.83 ± 1.9 (95% CI: 28.3–35.63) months, which was shorter than the 35.14 ± 1.1 (95% CI: 32.81–37.48) months in the MVD + PSR group at 36 months after surgery (P = 0.086). Concerning postoperative complications, one patient had an acute subdural haemorrhage (1.7%) and another had facial paralysis (1.7%), while hypoesthesia was experienced in 18 (31%) patients. There were no deaths in either group. Conclusion: MVD and MVD + PSR are safe and effective procedures for classical trigeminal neuralgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]