The neurosurgeon at Vancouver General Hospital has been updating his website with good info on TN. http://drhoney.org/tn/
There is a link to a webinar he gave on March 30, 2013. It includes video footage of MVDs and great visuals. It is really nicely done! https://tnac.adobeconnect.com/_a1110275059/p1nl9w535fy/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal
If that link doesn't work, you can access it through his webpage, compliments of the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association of Canada.
I like this presentation. I like the explanation of where to find the trigeminal nerve on the MRI. I also like the explanation of what to ask for on the MRI and what it means. Dr. Lim at Johns Hopkins had a presentation that was good too, but I don't know if it is still available on the web.
I'm glad you liked it, Don. If you can find Dr Lim's online, that would be great.
Hi Don - I found Dr. Lim's webinar. I have watched about 30 minutes of it. The visuals aren't as good as Dr. Honey's and he hasn't mentioned MS once, even in the list of things that should be ruled out as the cause of facial pain. I'm particularly sensitive to this issue as I had two neurologists say I had 'idiopathic TN' before doing an MRI. So everyone with facial pain should be aware that MS is a possiblity, regardless of your age. Dr. Lim has photos but no videos. It can be found here: http://webcast.jhu.edu/Mediasite/Play/934ddaf78bd04cc9b2e323d133ca50a8
Thanks so much for this, Jennifer. I “listened” to most of it Monday night (really poor 3G cell service that night) while getting ready to fly from one of the Gulf Islands to Vancouver by seaplane early Tuesday morning. I’m on Dr. Honey’s waiting list, and have been for too long. I saw Dr. Peter Gooderman on Tuesday afternoon and he is scheduling me for MVD mid to late September. I’m not waiting any longer. Your link to Dr. Honey’s presentation really helped me solidify my questions and my decision to go with Dr. Gooderman (two doors down, same floor).
Thanks so much for your post.
Bellalarke
That's great, Bellalarke! Happy to be of help in your decision-making process. I just read the rate mds link for your surgeon, and people say nice things about him. I didn't know now many neurosurgeons here did MVDs.
http://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/948729/Dr-Peter-Gooderham-Vancouver-BC.html
We have friends who have a place on Saturna and they let us use it once in a while -- a little piece of heaven on earth! I'm sure you'll let us all know how things go for you.
Jennifer
Yes, thank Jennifer. I read that rating as well and told my GP and she, in her usual direct way, said, “that just means the people he has helped loved him, the ones he killed didn’t write a report” and then about him being young, “well, at least his hands won’t shake”! I’ve been seeing her for over a decade and that’s just her way of keeping me on my toes.
My neurologist, Dr. Esma Dilli, was the one who found out he did MVDs. He did one for a good friend of hers with a really good outcome. Dr. Gooderman did his neurosurgery training at Stanford and came back to Vancouver. He is a vascular surgeon, mostly working with people with strokes and AVM, etc, so, as he explained to me, is “in that area all the time”. Dr. Honey is a functional surgeon. Anyway, I felt extremely comfortable with him.
I live on Thetis, a little piece of heaven, and a little piece of hell-
Bellalarke
Thank you so much for posting this, it has been so helpful to me. I have had many rhyzotomys and after the last one in early July I have had more pain which Dr. Lims described as anesthesia delorosa. I am appreciative for any answers because sometimes I feel like I'm just crazy.
Interesting what your GP said that about the rate MDs website. I've read comments from family members when specialists and surgeons have screwed up or been less than professional. We can't expect our doctors to be super-human and not make mistakes, but there is no real excuse for being treated poorly.
It's also interesting to see that Dr. Honey has fewer ratings than Dr. Gooderman, as he's been around a while and he's well-known, especially in the TN community here. I've used the site many times and I've been adding my own ratings and comments. Generally, you get the extremes -- love or hate, but often the comments give you really important insights into the doctor and how they treat patients. I've have encounters with so many doctors in the past 3 years that I'm confident in the ratings when they have at least 10 of them.
I"ve watched several surgeries in the head and neck region -- all the surgeons know the anatomy well, so if you feel confident that he can do it, that's great!! Young is good too! Stanford is a great place for post-doctorate specialty training. Really great that your neurologist helped you find him. There's only so long you can wait with the pain. I recall watching a webinar by Dr. Ken Casey who talked about how important it is to get surgery earlier rather than later as the brain changes because of chronic pain, i.e., it 'learns' pain. If I can find it again, I'll post it.
I've never been to Thetis -- it must be challenging to deal with complex health issues from there. I met Chief Lisa Shaver a few years ago back when I had a life . . . I'm a 20 minute walk to VGH.
Jennifer
Bellalarke said:
Yes, thank Jennifer. I read that rating as well and told my GP and she, in her usual direct way, said, "that just means the people he has helped loved him, the ones he killed didn't write a report" and then about him being young, "well, at least his hands won't shake"! I've been seeing her for over a decade and that's just her way of keeping me on my toes.
My neurologist, Dr. Esma Dilli, was the one who found out he did MVDs. He did one for a good friend of hers with a really good outcome. Dr. Gooderman did his neurosurgery training at Stanford and came back to Vancouver. He is a vascular surgeon, mostly working with people with strokes and AVM, etc, so, as he explained to me, is "in that area all the time". Dr. Honey is a functional surgeon. Anyway, I felt extremely comfortable with him.
I live on Thetis, a little piece of heaven, and a little piece of hell-:)
Bellalarke
Hi Maggy,
I'm glad you found it helpful. I'm so sorry to hear about your anesthesia dolorosa. Before I went in for my rhizotomy, Dr. Kaufmann told me that that chances of AD were about 1 in 100 but I couldn't bear the pain anymore even with medications, so I had no choice. I was fortunate.
Do you have MS as well? It really limits the options. The pain is crazy-making, for sure. The thought of the pain returning haunts me everyday.
maggy said:
Thank you so much for posting this, it has been so helpful to me. I have had many rhyzotomys and after the last one in early July I have had more pain which Dr. Lims described as anesthesia delorosa. I am appreciative for any answers because sometimes I feel like I'm just crazy.
I found the video by Dr. Casey that somebody posted here on the Living with TN list of videos but it's buried deep, so here's the link to find it again.
http://www.livingwithtn.org/video/ask-the-doctor-series-with-ken