Patients develop some sensory loss. Marked numbness of the eye is an unusual hazard and infection is rare. The procedure can be repeated. In this treatment a small balloon catheter is introduced through the needle into the nerve in the skull base. With the patient anesthetized the balloon is briefly inflated to compress the nerve and then removed.
Infection again is a hazard.
Microvascular Decompression Dr. Peter Jennetta established cause of tic douloureaux when he confirmed earlier observations that these patients usually had a small artery or vein compressing the nerve in the posterior skull. He developed microvascular decompression as an effective treatment. Under general anesthesia a small window of bone is removed from behind the ear to gain entry to the lower brain stem and trigeminal nerve. Under a microscope the surgeon separates the blood vessel from the nerve and places a cushion of Teflon cotton between them. An overnight stay in the intensive care unit and a few days hospitalization are required.