Fully endoscopic microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia: technical note and early outcomes.

Microscopic microvascular decompression (MVD) has been considered a curative and reliable method for treating classical trigeminal neuralgia (TN) for decades. Endoscopy can provide bright illumination and a panoramic view, which enhances the visualization of the posterior fossa. In view of the above advantages of endoscopy, it gradually became an option for MVD for treating TN. This study was performed to evaluate the advantages of fully endoscopic MVD for treating TN and is presented with a description of our operative technique. From January 2020 to January 2022, 95 classical TN patients underwent fully endoscopic MVD performed by the same surgeon and assistant in our department. The assistant held the endoscope, and the surgeon operated. Brain stem auditory evoked potentials (BEMPs) were routinely monitored. For every patient, the neurovascular conflict was identified, and complete decompression was achieved. The Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain intensity score was used to evaluate the degree of facial pain. The intraoperative findings, postoperative outcomes, and complications were analyzed. Immediately after the operation, 93 patients (97.9%) achieved complete pain relief (BNI score of I). Two patients (2.1%) still had some pain, but it could be adequately controlled with medicine (BNI score of III). During the 12-36 months of follow-up, recurrence was found in 3 patients (3.2%), including one patient (1.1%) with a BNI score of II and 2 patients (2.1%) with a BNI score of III. Complications were found in 5 patients (5.3%), including facial numbness in 3 patients (3.2%), vertigo in one patient (1.1%), and headache in one patient (1.1%). There were no cases of mortality, stroke, hearing impairment, facial paralysis, or other complications. Fully endoscopic MVD is a safe and effective method for treating TN. It provides bright illumination and a panoramic view for surgeons to better observe neurovascular conflicts in deep areas of the cerebellopontine angle (CPA).

Analysing Correlation Between the Facial Nerve Notch at the Root Exit Zone and Long-term Effect in Patients with Hemifacial Spasm After Microvascular Decompression: A Prospective Study.

Background: Microvascular decompression (MVD) has become widely accepted for hemifacial spasm (HFS). The significance of facial nerve notch (FNN) for the outcome after MVD is still unknown. Objective: To investigate the correlative analysis between the FNN at the root exit zone (REZ) and the curative effect of MVD for HFS. Method: A prospective study was performed, which included 232 patients with Cohen score ≥2 who had undergone MVD. The patients were divided into two groups: the group with facial nerve notch (FNN) and the group without FNN, according to whether there is FNN caused by the offending vessels during the MVD operation. All the patients were followed up for 24 months. Results: The group with FNN caused by offending vessels at the REZ area was confirmed in 119 patients, of which 117 patients were immediately cured and two patients received partial relief on the 1st day of postoperation. The group without FNN at the REZ area was confirmed in 113 patients, of which 43 patients were immediately completely cured while 70 patients were not immediately completely cured after MVD operation. After 24 months of follow-up, 119 patients with FNN were all completely cured, 71 patients without FNN were completely cured, and 42 patients without FNN were not completely cured. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that compared with without FNN group, the FNN group had statistical significance for the clinical results both on the-1st -day (P < 0.01) and 2 years of follow-up (P < 0.05) after MVD operation. Conclusions: FNN is an important reference factor to evaluate both the short-term and long-term curative effect of microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm. The postoperative effect of patients with FNN is much better than that of patients without FNN.

Preoperative evaluation of neurovascular relationships for microvascular decompression: Visualization using Brainvis in patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE: A precise and accurate evaluation of neurovascular relationships in patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) scheduled for microvascular decompression is necessary. Thus, we constructed and evaluated a fusion imaging technique combining multi-source heterogeneous imaging data from three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) and computerized tomography venoangiography (CTV), which enabled use of virtual reality to preoperatively assess the neurovascular relationships, in patients with ITN scheduled for microvascular decompression. METHODS: A single-center observational study. In total, eight patients with ITN scheduled for microvascular decompression were included. Patients underwent three-dimensional MR imaging with time-of-flight (TOF) and fast imaging employing steady state acquisition (FIESTA) sequences and CTV before microvascular decompression. A fusion imaging technique, combining MR-TOF, MR-FIESTA, and CTV images, was used to construct a three-dimensional model with information regarding the facial and auditory nerves, brain tissue, skull, arteries and veins. The positions of the trigeminal nerve and the responsible vessels were observed. The agreement between intraoperative neurovascular compression findings and preoperative evaluation results, and the duration required to determine the neurovascular relationships, were evaluated. RESULTS: The neurovascular relationships as determined with the fusion imaging technique were consistent with intraoperative neurovascular compression findings in all patients. Moreover, the assessment duration was significantly shorter with the fusion imaging technique than with the three-dimensional MR (P<0.05). The rate of an accurate assessment was significantly higher with the fusion imaging technique than with three-dimensional MR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The fusion imaging technique is a useful tool for the diagnosis and decision-making process based on neurovascular relationships in patients with ITN scheduled for microvascular decompression.

Clinical analysis of microvascular decompression in patients with hemifacial spasm: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral contractions of the facial muscles characterize hemifacial spasm (HFS). Microvascular decompression (MVD) was widely accepted for the treatment of HFS. To investigate the operative effects and surgical complications in patients with HFS after MVD. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 540 patients with HFS after MVD was conducted from January 2017 to May 2018. All patients were followed up for 2 years on average. Surgical effects were evaluated on the patients' manifestations according to the Cohen score classification. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 455 patients (84.26%) were completely cured, 60 patients (11.11%) were partial relief, 25 patients (4.63%) were failed cure. The effective rate was 93.52% on the first day after MVD, and 95.37% on the follow-up period. Ten patients (1.85%) were facial paralysis (FP) on the 1st day of post-operation. Twenty-five patients (4.63%), FP; the patients with delayed facial palsy were all completely cured in 3 months. Fourteen patients (2.59%) were hearing deficit after MVD, in whom 8 patients (1.48%) had good improvement, and 6 patients (1.11%) had no changes. There was no recurrence case or death case recorded. CONCLUSIONS: MVD is the best treatment choice that offers the prospect of a definitive cure for HFS. Skilled microsurgical techniques, as well as identifying and sufficiently decompressing offending vessels, are the key to ensuring a safe and successful MVD. Complications of this surgery are uncommon and transient.

Treatment Results of the New Microsurgery in Hemifacial Spasm

Hemifacial spasm is painless uncommon disorder characterized by involuntary paroxysmal movement of one side of face. Microvascular decompression at root exit zone of the facial nerve has become the standard treatment for hemifacial spasm. An alternative hypothesis, proposed for the relieve of hemifacial spasm with microvascular decompression, actually result from minor trauma or circumferential fibrosis to a sensitive zone of the facial nerve. Upon the base of this hypothesis, author have treated patient with hemifacial spasm with surgical manipulation in addition to microvascular decompression. During last fifteen years, 250 patients with hemifacial spasm underwent this operation. The age at operation ranged from 18 to 71 years, with mean over 45.7 years and the duration of symptoms averaged 5.8 years. The spasms occurred predominantly right side, 5 cases were bilateral. The common offending vessels were AICA in 127 cases(50.8%) and PICA in 50 cases(20%). The remainder were 17 cases in vertebral artery, 9 cases in labyrin-thine artery(3.6%) and multiple offending vessels were found in 29 cases(11.6%). In two hundred fifteen cases, the spasm was completely relieved within 5 days after operation. Among 25 cases whose spasm unrelieved initially after surgery, 19 cases was relieved within 3 weeks and 6 cases within 3 months. Complications following surgery is approximately 22.8%: the most commonly encountered deficit is facial weakness(16 cases) followed by CSF leak (12 cases), and some degree of hearing loss(12 cases). Other complications include wound infection, ataxia, pneumocephalus and focal hemorrhage. Surgical manipulation in addition to microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm(a new combined approach) produces better results of improvement approximately up to 96%.