Long-term effects of conventional radiofrequency in cases of trigeminal neuralgia

Abstract

Objective: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is defined as severe, episodic pain occurring in one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. Due to its long-term effect, radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT) is used as a first-line treatment. The first choice in the treatment of classical trigeminal neuralgia patients is medical treatment. Additionally, pregabalin and gabapentin are frequently used drugs. Surgical treatment is an option for Trigeminal Neuralgia that cannot be treated with medication, but there is no single method for this. Various surgical methods, such as Trigeminal Radiofrequency (RF) rhizotomy may be effective in treatment. Material and metods: The procedure is performed under operating room conditions and radiological imaging guidance. The patient is placed in the supine position, an IV line is established, and monitoring is initiated. After local field cleaning and sterile draping, optimal imaging is achieved using C-arm fluoroscopy with an ipsilateral 15° oblique and 30° caudal angle. A 22-gauge, 100 mm RF needle with a 5 mm active tip is directed towards the foramen ovale, and the tunnel view is checked. Results: In our study, the minimum age was 41 and the maximum age was 68. Additionally, 9 of the patients were female, and 2 were male. In our series, 9 patients had mandibular nerve involvement, and 2 had maxillary nerve involvement. In our series, 6 patients were using carbamazepine, 4 were using pregabalin, and 1 was using gabapentin. Medication treatment was discontinued in all patients after the procedure. As shown in Table 1, the VAS score decreased to 0 in 6 patients on the 15th day, to 2 in 4 patients, and to 1 in 1 patient. The VAS score exceeded 5 in 1 patient in the 2nd year and in 5 patients in the 4th year, and conventional RFT was repeated for these patients. The VAS score decreased to 0 in 6 patients on the 15th day, to 2 in 4 patients, and to 1 in 1 patient. The VAS score exceeded 5 in 1 patient in the 2nd year and in 5 patients in the 4th year, and conventional RFT was repeated for these patients. Pregabalin 75 mg was started for all patients between the recurrence of pain and the interventional procedure, and it was discontinued once the pain decreased after the procedure. No side effects were observed in the patients. Conclusion: The treatment of trigeminal neuralgia includes medical, surgical, and percutaneous interventional options. Conventional RF thermocoagulation is the first choice among other percutaneous interventional and surgical treatment options in TN treatment due to its selective lesion formation, minimally invasive nature, high success rate, low complication rate, and low cost.