As I recent started over with all new doctors I got all my old medical records together. I was looking over my OR reports from my Jan 2009 MVD surgery and I noticed something. My neurosurgeon did not remove the vein that was impacting the nerve, but cushioned it off using teflon. As blood vessels often grow back, I am surprised more neurosurgeons do not do this. Has anyone else had veins cushioned off the nerve vice removed? Personally having heard of so many people who have had repeat surgeries due to veins growing back, often more than once, I am very grateful the vein was not removed.
Sarah,
I believe mine was cushioned rather than removed. But couldn't the vein still continue to grow?
Liz
I am having the surgery on Tuesday the 14th and my surgeon plans to place a teflon cusion instead of removing .the vein. I guess it depends on if it is in a position where it can be cushioned opposed to it being wrapped around the nerve as it is in some cases. I would think then they might have to remove the blood vessel. I really don't know for sure.
I had the Superior Cerebellum Artery severely compressing my trigeminal nerve that was cushioned off...this is the most common compression....but I also had a vein that was nearby. My neurosurgeon didn't think the vein was causing the problem, but he went ahead & cushioned it off just to be safe.
I believe most of the top neurosurgeons today cushion the veins when possible. Research studies have shown that the TN is less likely to reoccur if an artery is found to be compressing instead of veins.
All my best,
Judy
I do not know if the vein can keep growing. What I do know is when they are removed and then grow back that they often grow back in knotted up balls. I know someone here said they have had 4 MVDs due to veins growing back. What shocked me is it was a well known TN neurosurgeon who did all her surgeries. Judy is right when she says surgery is more sucessful when it is a artery vice a vein hitting the nerve. Time will tell what will happen.
the reason to cut or cushion a vein depends on which vein is compressing your nerve. surgeons can not cut certain veins because they are vital; to do so would cause aneurysm and probable death to the patient.
more surgeons are choosing to cushion a vein which can be sacrificed due to regrowth complications.
vesper
I had a MVD as my first surgery 4 years ago and had three areas of compression, 2 veins and 1 artery. When there are veins compressing the nerve then they will move it and cauterize it, once a vein is cauterize I do not believe it can grow back but I am 100% on that. That does not mean that a new vein cannot grow and begin compressing the nerve however. If you have an artery compressing the nerve then they use the teflon padding to place in between the artery and the nerve to keep from compression. My neurosurgeon padded my nerve completely to ensure that any new growth of veins would compress my nerve. Arteries cannot be removed or cauterized which is why they simply use the teflon padding to protect the nerve from compression. So although the teflon padding is a great option it is usually only used between arteries and the tri-nerve.
I enjoy dropping something like this in a conversation: ‘I wear pads, seven of them’.
I hope you are less #sad. bob
The re-growth or continuing growth of blood vessels in the regions near the emergence of the Trigeminal nerve from the brain stem, seems to be one of the causes of pain recurrence in some patients. From what I have read during the past 15 years, the “standard” procedure used in MVD is to pad out and isolate the nerve from nearby blood vessels - NOT to cut or cauterize the vessels themselves. This seems true of both veins and arteries. We should remember that both are there for a reason: they are blood supply and return for areas of the brain itself.