What types of surgery for trigeminal neuralgia are performed at UCSF?
Microvascular Decompression Microvascular decompression (MVD), also known as the Janetta procedure, is the most common surgical procedure for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. This is an open surgical approach where a small incision is made behind the ear, a small hole is drilled in the skull, and, under microscopic visualization, the trigeminal nerve is exposed. In most cases, there is a blood vessel (typically an artery, but sometimes a vein) compressing the trigeminal nerve. By moving this blood vessel away from the nerve and interposing a padding made of Teflon felt, the pain is nearly always relieved. While MVD is considered to be the most invasive surgery for TN, it is also the best procedure for fixing the underlying problem that usually causes TN: vascular compression*. MVD also causes the least damage to the trigeminal nerve and provides, on average, the longest pain-free periods and the best chance of being permanently off medication. MVD has a long-term success rate of
