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Updated: Jul 8, 2025
Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
[Neurovascular decompression in trigeminal neuralgia: Functional outcome]
Luz A Acevedo Mantilla1, Liezel Ulloque-Caamaño1, Juan F Villalonga1
1Laboratorio de Innovaciones Neuroquirúrgicas de Tucumán (LINT), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
Introduction:
The most frequent pathology of the fifth cranial nerve is trigeminal neuralgia (TN), characterized by unilateral orofacial pain, of a paroxysmal nature, with distribution in one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve. The main objective of this work is to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of neurovascular decompressive surgery (NVD).
Methods:
Retrospective analytical study, patients operated on for NVD by TN (n: 155), from January 2006 - 2022, using a retrosigmoid approach and clinicalradiological follow-up, whose intraoperative recording was in 3D system (n: 42).
Results:
83.3% (n=35) presented classic NT and 16.7% (n = 7) idiopathic. The right side prevailed with 59.5% (n = 25) and paroxysmal pain with 81% (n=34) of representation in the entire series. Compression of arterial origin represented 76.2% (n: 32) of the cases, the superior cerebellar artery represented the first cause of neurovascular compression (NVC) in 52.4% (n: 22) in the exit zone of the trigeminal nerve. The validity of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol selected for this series was analyzed; evidencing a high sensitivity of MRI with 97%, and a specificity of 86%.
Conclusion:
The sensitivity and specificity of highdefinition MRI studies and with special protocols for the evaluation of TN, as gold standard paraclinical, were presented. The DNV offered safe results, a high percentage of the patients were described as successful. The 3D recording allowed retrospective analysis with a vision identical to that of the surgeon during the intraoperative period, the type of NVC.
