Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a debilitating, chronic syndrome that causes sudden, severe, electric shock-like pain in the face, according to a news release from University Hospitals. While TN isn’t life-threatening, it severely can alter quality of life and disrupt everyday activities, such as tal king, chewing and smiling by triggering intense bouts of pain. The condition occurs when a blood vessel puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve near the brainstem, which provides sensation to the face and head. Several types of treatments, surgically and through medications, can help manage symptoms, but typically it is a long-term condition, according to the release. Many patients do not see results with medications alone and require some sort of surgical treatment. University Hospitals is the first health system in the world to offer a new type of minimally-invasive treatment with the OneRF Trigeminal Nerve Ablation System, according to the release. The two initial patients, successfully treated this month, reported pain relief from the procedure without complications, the release said. During the procedure, a needle is inserted through the cheek, guided by X-ray, to the trigeminal (Gasserian) ganglion. Radiofrequency energy creates heat to lesion, or partially ablates, the specific nerve fibers that transmit pain. Patients are sedated during the procedure and woken up to confirm the areas of treatment. “This type of surgery has been performed for many decades with a radiofrequency probe, although this requires waking the patient up multiple times during the surgery and is only capable of testing and treating one pain distribution at a time,” said neurosurgeon Michael Staudt, MD, the Lincoln endowed chair in Brain Health and an associate professor of neurological surgery at UH, in the relase. “This new ablation probe is a step forward for our patients. “It is a multi-contact probe designed to test and treat multiple nerve distributions without the need for repositioning. It also simplifies hardware with a unified setup. Typically, multiple components from different manufacturers are needed.” Ideal candidates for this surgery are patients with TN who haven’t had success with medications and have symptoms in the cheek and jaw, according to the release. Those who prefer a more minimally invasive procedure compared to open brain surgery, as well as older patients or those with medical comorbidities, also are good candidates for this treatment option, the release said. “Pain relief is often immediate, with some numbness over the area of pain,” Staudt said. “The NeuroOne multi-contact probe allows for better targeting and temperature control, to potentially reduce procedure times and improve patient comfort. “We’re thankful to be able to offer this new treatment option to patients and look forward to helping them manage their symptoms more effectively.” To learn more about this treatment, call 216-844-9000. ...read more read less