Dr. Michael Lim, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford Medicine is known around the world for his expertise in the care of people with trigeminal neuralgia. In this video, Dr. Lim and two of his patients describe the condition that manifests as severe unrelenting chronic facial pain that profoundly undermines a person’s quality of life.
Dr. Lim also explores how trigeminal neuralgia is diagnosed and the options for treatment. Treatments may include:
• Anticonvulsant medications like Gabapentin, Lamotrigine, Oxcarbazepine, or Phenytoin
• Muscle relaxants like Botox
• Neuromodulation therapy
• Stereotactic radiosurgery such as Cybernife or GammaKnife
• Minimally invasive surgical approaches like percutaneous glycerin rhizotomy, percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy, or microvascular decompression
