Abstract
In this paper we describe the effects of peripheral cryoneurotomy on a consecutive
series of patients with intractable trigeminal neuralgia (TN) who had been treated
by a single surgeon over a ten-year period. The results of 55 patients who underwent
a total of 102 cryoneurotomies were documented. The age at first cryofreeze was 64
(30-92) years with 24 males and 31 females. Thirty-five had primary TN and 20 secondary
TN. The first cryofreeze resulted in 28.2 (5-144) pain free months. Twenty-nine had
a second freeze which lasted 34 (2-100) pain-free months and 13 had a third cryofreeze
which lasted 26 (1-108) pain free months. Two patients had further freezes. Thirty-four
of the primary TN patients had prolonged freedom from pain with one dying perioperatively.
The 20 patients with secondary TN had shorter period of pain relief (p<0.05) and one committed suicide. The procedure of peripheral cryoneurotomy is recommended
for older, unwell patients with primary TN that is refractory to medical or neurosurgical
treatments. It is less effective for dysaesthesia secondary to traumatic nerve injuries.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 25, 2020
Accepted:
August 12,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
