Microvascular Decompression Surgery Questions

[mindyandy]

I understand that Microvascular Decompression Surgery is for Trigeminal Neuralgia, however the surgery is simular to Retrosigmoid right? Instead of taking out a tumor they are working on the trigeminal nerve. For those who know is this surgery very simular? Same opening and closure etc.

Thank you

[CHD63]

Yes, it is.  However, since the MVD surgery does not normally affect the auditory (or vestibular) nerve, the recovery is much easier with MVD surgery.  I did have horrible headaches for two weeks after the MVD surgery and none after the first retrosigmoid AN surgery (nor the translab one either, for that matter).  However, I think the skill of the surgeons and procedures used made the difference, since the entry, going to the brainstem, and closure were all the same (my trigeminal surgery was on the right, AN surgeries on the left).

Clarice

[mindyandy]

Clarice thank you for chiming in. You and 1 other person that I know of on this board has gone thru MVD surgery. I thought the surgeries were somewhat the same other than tumor removal on the hearing/vestibular nerve. MVD surgery I believe is a few hours shorter too. Like you said the entry and the closure are the same so the risks are about the same. Recovery is a bit harder like you said because of the vestibluar nerve.

I asked this question because I have trigeminal issues so I have been on the trigeminal forum too and there are a lot of people that had MVD surgery or are going to have. They are really facing the same surgical risk we are minus the hearing/facial/vestiblular nerves.