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At Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital, we offer the surgical option of microvascular decompression to patients with trigeminal neuralgia. People in their 50s and older are most susceptible to trigeminal neuralgia, and the incidence rate of trigeminal neuralgia increases with age. Furthermore, because trigeminal neuralgia often becomes chronic and gradually worsens, it is not uncommon for people over 70 to consider surgery.
Because surgery is performed under general anesthesia, there are concerns about the burden it places on the patient's overall condition. It is feared that such a burden could actually result in a decline in quality of life. Therefore, our institute conducted a survey of quality of life before and after treatment in patients undergoing microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia.
The results of this study showed that quality of life was lower than average in patients with trigeminal neuralgia in all age groups: under 60, 60-69, 70-79, and over 80. Quality of life improved after surgery in all age groups compared to before surgery. However, the degree of improvement in quality of life related to physical ability was greater in patients under 70 than in those over 70, which was thought to be due to age.
This survey showed that trigeminal neuralgia is a disease that reduces quality of life regardless of age, and that if the postoperative course is good, quality of life improves regardless of age. Therefore, if sufficient preparation and environmental improvements are made to ensure safety during surgery and after surgery, microvascular decompression is also useful for patients with trigeminal neuralgia who are 70 years of age or older.
The results of this study were reported in the journal Surgical Neurology International.
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