I placed this as a blog also, not really sure which area is most appropriate for it. It has been over a year since I last visited this site. So much pain for so long. It was finally determined I had an 80% chance of cure with MVD. I jumped at the chance!
After surgery, the neurosurgeon told my husband he was 99% sure the problem was eliminated. He has been doing this surgery for nearly 20 years. He said the blood vessel on my trigeinal nerve was the largest he has ever seen. It was in constant contact with the nerve, probably why my pain was continuous. It had rubbed a crease all along the nerve. Unfortunately, when I woke up the pain was still there.
I saw the MRI's and it was clear, even to my eyes, the vessel was all tangled with the nerve. The surgeon has a very good reputation, and I have cofidence in him, his diagnosis, and his competence.
Today is my 15th post op day. Has anyone out there had the surgery and did not have immediate relief from the pain. If so, how long did it take. It is just so hard...all the pain, never stops. Please let me know.
Many here have had this problem - there are many outcomes that can come with MVD
It does take a year to heal the nerves - so I would ask surgeon what he thinks
You can have any of your doctor's call in a prescription called lidocaine patches -- can be up to 12 hrs of relief - put them right on your face and they kind of put the nerves to sleep for a while.....works for many.
If you don't mind my asking...who is your doc? I am going to have surgery April 12 with a doc in Cincinnati that has 20+ years experience...that is why we choose to travel 5 hours to him instead of where I live PLUS the docs here do not have NEAR the expertise that I want in my neurosurgeon...this is such a big step!
I sent you a message about my surgeon. Additionally, he has videos of the surgery posted on YouTube. I actually didn't watch them but both my husband and daughter have. He did a great job of reviewing the MRI's with us and is going to show us the video when I see him on Friday.
Janice
Dear Saraiderin,
Thank you for the response. I need that hope to hold onto.
With my first mvd I was in quite a bit of pain for a few weeks but it slowly started to get better and better. Like people have said, it takes time for the nerve to heal. Neural tissue takes a really long time to heal in general. You can expect 6 months to a year for everything to be fully healed and be back to your old self. My best advice is to really stay on your surgeon about how you are feeling and if your pain isn’t getting better.