Treatment Options For Trigeminal Neuralgia

Brain Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Brain stereotactic radiosurgery, otherwise known as Gamma Knife radiosurgery, isn't actually a surgical procedure. Like other types of stereotactic radiosurgery, this procedure doesn't involve an incision. Rather than cutting into the body, the procedure uses special equipment to focus around two hundred tiny radiation beams on the target. Since the technology is accurate to within a millimeter or so, the procedure can target one specific area of the brain without damaging healthy tissues. In most cases, it's used to treat brain tumors. With trigeminal neuralgia, the procedure targets the place the trigeminal nerve enters the brain stem. Rather than treating the underlying cause of the pain, the procedure damages the nerve so it is unable to transmit pain signals. This is the least invasive non-medication treatment option for trigeminal neuralgia, so it's a good choice for patients who cannot take certain medications but also cannot risk the complications associated with invasive surgery. Patients tend to require little or no anesthesia for the treatment. It should be noted the results from radiosurgery often take longer to appear than with other treatments. Rather than being immediately effective, they might take anywhere from four weeks to eight months for a full response.

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