Dr. From Córdoba (Pain Clinic)
It has been rightly said that trigeminal neuralgia (NT) is the worst pain in the world. Patients who have NT suddenly experience severe pain in one area of the face. NT is triggered by mild stimuli such as talking, eating, or brushing your teeth, and subsides after a few minutes.
SURGICAL TREATMENT
This disease can be cured by trephining the skull and separating the cerebral artery that irritates the trigeminal nerve. However, neurosurgery carries a risk of permanent deafness and a 2% mortality rate.
MULLAN TECHNIQUE
There is an alternative, simpler and safer, in which a needle and a special catheter (Fogarthy) is used to ‘deactivate’ the trigeminal nerve. The operation is performed with short-term general anesthesia; there are no incisions or stitches. Mullan’s technique eliminates NT pain in more than 90% of those affected; 70% of them will remain pain-free 10 years after the intervention.
