Endoscope-assisted Microvascular Decompression for Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia

Objective To explore the curative effect of endoscope-assisted microvascular decompression on primary trigeminal neuralgia.Method The clinical data of 31 patients with trigeminal neuralgia,who underwent endoscope-assisted microvascular decompression in our department from January,2004 to October,2007,were analyzed retrospectively.Results The anatomic structure in gap Ⅰ in cerebellopontine angle(CPA) was seen clearly.The neuralgia disappeared in 29 patients immediately after the operation,and the neuragia disappeared in 2 patients on or after discharge from hospital.The postoperative facial numbness,which occurred in 7 patients,disappeared 3 months after the decompression.There was herpes around lips in 3 cases.No patients died.Conclusions The endoscope-assisted microvascular decompression can decrease operative side-injury and postoperative complications and enhance the curative effect in the patients with primary trigeminal neuralgia because anatomic structures which can not be observed under a common microscope during the keyhole-approach operation may be seen under the endoscope during microvascular decompression and the vessels responsible for the neuralgia are easily indentified through the endoscope.