Your life has been negatively affected by the pains of Trigeminal Neuralgia (TGN). In an effort to not let this chronic pain condition run your life, you have seen facial pain specialists and have tried appropriate medications like Tegretol and Trileptal. Unfortunately, either because you had a bad reaction or the maximum allowed dosage wasn’t enough, medication simply isn’t fixing the problem. And you and your expert neurologist have decided to explore other options.
That may lead you to consider Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, which is the next choice for TGN patients after Microvascular Decompression (MVD) is deemed not suitable or is ineffective. Going through such a procedure can provide pain relief and allow you to take back control of how you live, if successful.
Before you decide to go through with this operation, though, it’s best to know all about Gamma Knife side effects. So, get informed, and then decide if this is the route you wish to take.
Understanding Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Prior to going over Gamma Knife side effects, you should read up on how Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, also known as stereotactic radiosurgery, works. In addition to being useful for treating TGN, it’s also used to treat benign and malignant tumors in the brain.
Unlike the name suggests, there is no knife at all. The operation is non-invasive. Gamma Knife Radiosurgery employs computer imaging to direct multiple beams of radiation on the targeted area, particularly the location where the trigeminal nerve exits the brainstem. Nearby healthy tissue areas do not receive radiation.
In appropriately selected patients, the success rate of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is quite high, with about 80 percent of people reporting excellent pain relief a few weeks after. Some people who initially had a favorable response will have their pain recur at an average of 4 years after surgery. However, these patients can undergo treatment again if the pain comes back.
Early Side Effects of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
The procedure is done as an outpatient, and no general anesthesia is necessary (only local). All patients leave the medical center on the same day. This signifies that Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, for the most part, goes very smoothly, and there are only minimal side effects. Early Gamma Knife side effects can be divided into common side effects and rare complications.
Common Side Effects
During the surgery, you may feel slight pain and discomfort, but nothing overwhelming. Following the surgery, the head frame application and pins are removed from your head. This sometimes results in minor bleeding but can be easily stopped with gauze and pressure. Side effects you may experience include nausea, fatigue, numbness and headaches. Swelling of the scalp may occur, and you could feel more sensitive when you touch the area that was targeted by the beams.
These symptoms usually last for as little as a few hours to a few days, depending on your individual reaction. Doctors usually recommend taking it easy for a half day or full day. For many, the side effects of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery are worth it for the chance to potentially eliminate their chronic pain from TGN.
Rare Complications
Overall, Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for TGN is very safe. However, due to the nature of the treatment, GKRS for TGN comes with a 20-30% percent risk of causing numbness in part, or all, of one side of the face. Although this complication does not cause any weakness in the face, it can be a frustrating but manageable side effect should it occur.
Weighing the Pros and Cons
Most patients with TGN do decide that the primary benefit of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery—the chance to end their chronic pain—far outweighs the common side effects. Though the possibility of a rare complication happening may be instilling fear in you, just remember this: the chances of the surgery being successful are much, much greater than the chances of a rare side effect occurring.
In the end, Gamma Knife Radiosurgery carries very little risk and great potential to put an end to your pain. If you want to live pain free, this procedure is a very viable solution to do just that.
