Does anyone have any input on Micro Vascular Decompression vs the Gamma Knife. MVD was suggested to me by a Dr. Kim Burchiel at OHSU in Portland. He thought that I would be a good canidate for that procedure.
My problem is I understand the recovery is quite lengthy (up to two months) and that post op in intensive care could be three to four days. I just don't think I can be off work for that long especially if there is a chance of complications during and after the procedure.
Gamma Knife is, as I understand it a out patient procedure and has fewer side effects. I know it may take a few weeks for it to work but I like the idea of a simplistic option first.
I'm open to advice and information. Thanks, Boydotwo
For type I (Typical) TN, the success rates and length of pain relief with Gamma Knife are significantly lower than with MVD. Although the American Radio Surgery Association claims that GK is "non-invasive", neurosurgeons whom I've talked with over the past 17 years report that when an MVD is performed following Gamma Knife, it is common to find significant adhesions and arachnoiditis in the targeted region. If I were advising a close family member or friend, I would strongly advocate against Gamma Knife unless some other health condition (e.g. a history of stroke or high blood pressure) renders an MVD inadvisable.
Recovery times with MVD vary significantly between patients. I've talked with some patients who went back to work within two weeks after the procedure. Others required a longer period. Likewise, the incidence of significant side effects is generally lower in recent years than in the 1980s when the procedure was being refined and proven. All of the cranial surgeries -- including GK -- have some risk of anesthesia delorousa or deafferentiation pain. Generally, however, that risk is lower with surgical teams that do a lot of these procedures every month. I would advise against your being treated by any team that does fewer than ten procedures per month, in whichever modality you choose.
In all candor, Boydotwo, I would also encourage you to put aside the notion that you have any control over how long you'll be in recovery from EITHER procedure. You don't. It will be much more constructive for you to take the process one day at a time. You'll be under less stress if you do, and stress is a source of pain for many people.
Regards and best,
Red Lawhern, Ph.D.
Master Information Miner