If you have trigeminal neuralgia, you should know that there are a variety of treatments to help decrease your symptoms. Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia may include:
- Sharp, shooting pains in one side of your face
- Ear and temple pain
- Tooth pain or pain in your cheek
If you have any of these symptoms, visit your doctor right away to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition and to start on the best treatment for you.
While medication can be effective for trigeminal neuralgia, many patients find that drugs lose their effectiveness over time, and therefore they require frequent dosing changes to get the best results. Many patients who don’t respond positively to medication require surgery to fully treat their facial pain.
There are different surgical procedures to treat trigeminal neuralgia. Surgical options may include:
- Microvascular decompression (MVD)
- Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
- Percutaneous rhizotomy
- Pain stimulator placement
Your neurosurgeon will help decide which surgery is best for your particular condition. Facial pain may be caused by neurological problems in your brain including stroke, cyst formation, multiple sclerosis or a tumor. These conditions are rare; more often, trigeminal neuralgia is caused by compression of your nerve by a nearby artery. For this, microvascular decompression is a good surgical option to consider.
What is Microvascular Decompression Surgery?
Microvascular decompression surgery is considered the gold standard for surgical options for trigeminal neuralgia. The surgery requires that your doctor make a small incision behind your ear and remove a tiny piece of your skull. Then, your trigeminal nerve will be visualized and a small Teflon pad will be placed between your nerve and a neighboring artery. This helps to take pressure off the nerve, effectively relieving your facial pain.
Microvascular decompression is open brain surgery, and you will be required to spend a few days in the hospital after your procedure. Once you are able to go home, you can increase your activity level over the course of a few weeks, and you can expect to be back to your normal activity shortly after the procedure.
Benefits of Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia
There are specific benefits that you can expect after MVD surgery. These include:
- Rapid abatement of your facial pain and trigeminal neuralgia symptoms
- Decreased likeliness of your symptoms returning
- Minimal side effects from surgery
When considering all treatments for trigeminal neuralgia, you should take a good look at MVD. This surgery can offer you rapid and long term relief from your facial pain symptoms.
Microvascular Decompression: Financial Implications
When considering any surgical procedure, you need to prepare, both physically and emotionally. Understanding the impact the surgery may have on your personal financial situation is an important step to take when preparing for MVD.
There are some costs associated with microvascular decompression; obviously your neurosurgeon will bill your insurance company for the surgical procedure, and you may have a deductible or co-payment due for the surgery itself. You may also be charged a hospital facility fee. The use of medications, both during surgery and after the procedure, are part of the overall cost of MVD surgery.
During surgery, your neurosurgeon may require help from other healthcare professionals, and these individuals may add a charge to the overall bill for your MVD. Physician assistants may be present during your surgery, and you may notice a charge from them on the final bill for your surgery.
Microvascular decompression is an expensive procedure, and your insurance company should be involved in the process of determining your overall out-of-pocket cost from the surgery. Your doctor should also have an insurance specialist on staff who can help you navigate the maze that typically comes with dealing with insurance companies.
Remember that every surgery is different; complications may arise that require more healthcare staff and interventions, and these will likely add to the overall cost of your procedure. Most MVD surgeries go smoothly and according to plan, so take the time to understand your personal financial obligation before considering surgery.
There are other hidden costs that may come with your MVD surgery. These may include:
- Parking fees at the hospital for family members and friends
- Missed time at work
- Medications that may be required after your surgery
Working closely with your neurosurgeon and your doctor’s insurance specialist can help you avoid any unexpected surprises when it comes to financials and the cost of microvascular decompression surgery.
Once you have an idea of what MVD will cost, you can make an informed decision about surgery. While the overall cost of microvascular decompression may sound like a lot, considering to forgo surgery based on cost alone may not be a wise choice.
Your emotional health is important, and living with trigeminal neuralgia can have a negative effect on your personal time and your relationships with others. Choosing to definitively treat your trigeminal neuralgia with MVD surgery can quickly get you back to your normal active lifestyle.
Find a Top Neurosurgeon for Microvascular Decompression
When considering to have microvascular decompression surgery for your trigeminal neuralgia, you need to find a top-rated neurosurgeon who specializes in facial conditions. Speaking with your physician or with friends and family who have had trigeminal neuralgia can help you in this search.
Your neurosurgeon should be a compassionate individual who listens to your concerns and can answer questions about your surgery. He or she should also offer you alternatives to treatment, if there are any. You should never feel pressured into having surgery; you and your neurosurgeon should work together as a therapeutic alliance to give you the best possible outcome with your microvascular decompression surgery.
When managing facial pain due to trigeminal neuralgia, you can optimize your chances of a positive outcome with your recovery by learning all you can about microvascular decompression and the costs associated with it. By working with a top-rated NJ neurosurgeon and by understanding the recovery process from microvascular decompression, you can quickly get back to your normal lifestyle and activity.