I am new to your group.Have been studying up on the MVD procedure.Would love to hear personal testimonies on how this procedure worked or not for you.Seems I see a lot where the pain came back in a year or two and the pain came back but just in a different location.It confuses me to hear all these different stories and wondering if its worth taking a chance on. I understand your situations are all different.Just trying to make a logical and educational choice.Thanks everyone.
One note of caution, please, Cindy: Most patients who come to a site like Living With TN do so because they're having problems. So the answers you get to your question could have a built-in negative self-selectdion bias. For somewhat more balanced information, please see the article on surgical treatments for facial pain, in the Face Pain Info tab on our menus.
In the hands of a surgical team that has done many MVDs (say, over a hundred), reported success rates for a first-time MVD done for patients with Type I (typical) TN generally exceed 90%, with about a 10-15% rate of significant negative side effects (CSF leak, facial numbness, loss of tearing reflex, compromised hearing, rarely anesthesia dolorousa). 70% of all MVD patients are pain free for at least 12 years in Type I pain. Stats aren't as good against Type II (atypical) TN, but they're still not zero either.
Regards and best,
R.A. "Red" Lawhern, Ph.D.
Resident Research Analyst
Yes, I know that you are right. I have kept that in mind, that people on this site are going to be mostly those that are still in pain. On another note: Noone has ever catagorized me as Type I or Type II....so I guess I need to get that figured out first. Just how does one decide which Type you are?? Is there a formula to follow that puts you in one or the other category??? Thank you so much.
Cindy, both types are well described within the Face Pain Info tab on our menus. Sharp electric shock type pain CAN be indicative of Type I, aching, boring agonizing non electric pain again CAN be indicative of Type II. You may be able to diagnose yourself if you check it out. Unfortunately some members are both, utter misery......
Cindy said:
Yes, I know that you are right. I have kept that in mind, that people on this site are going to be mostly those that are still in pain. On another note: Noone has ever catagorized me as Type I or Type II....so I guess I need to get that figured out first. Just how does one decide which Type you are?? Is there a formula to follow that puts you in one or the other category??? Thank you so much.
SUCCESS SO FAR!
I studied and gained knowldege on here for a year, before I made my MVD decision.
A very long year!
I was an optimal candidate because
I have TN 1
Age 49 / good health
No damaging previous procedures....Gamma Knife, etc.
I could not tolerate the side effects of Trileptal/Lyrica/etc.... All took my IQ or physical steadiness away.
Joined a local support group
Watched some vidoes of Dr. Ken Casey, in Michigan - he learned under the pioneer of MVD
Emailed the Doc. and flew to Michigan in Oct. after a year of hell. Lowered my med off days before surgery, woke up pain free, ..... week 11 post op - I felt 5% come back.... used Lidocaine patches for breatkthrough pain
And am once again pain free...... Can take a year for the nerve to settle down completely
Could come back in 5 years, and I would do it again!