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Article: Radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia helpful.(Neurology)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Internal Medicine News
- Article date:
- March 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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SAN FRANCISCO -- For people who are too old or ill to withstand the rigors of microvascular decompression, the gamma knife is a "reasonable treatment option" for recalcitrant trigeminal neuralgia, Jason Sheehan, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Microvascular decompression is the procedure with the best track record for relieving pain due to trigeminal neuralgia. However, the surgery carries a risk of rare but serious complications, including brain stem infarction, cerebellar edema and hematoma, and hydrocephalus. Further, recovery often requires a stay in the intensive care unit.
Of 136 patients with a median age ...