Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful condition that occurs in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve, including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, and, to some extent, the eye and forehead. These pain episodes vary in intensity and location. Hence, seeking treatment from a highly acclaimed neurosurgeon is necessary to prevent them from occurring.
Often mistaken as a toothache, trigeminal neuralgia pain can occur for short periods frequently either daily or weekly. The patient experiences pain when brushing, cleaning the face, shaving, or applying cosmetics, or even when a mild breeze blows. Hence, seeking treatment from a highly acclaimed neurosurgeon is necessary to prevent them from occurring.
Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney, a leading neurosurgeon in Mumbai, India and the founder of Neurolife Brain and Spine Clinic, states,' Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) hampers everyday living, causing intense pain and discomfort. Apart from medications, there are minimally invasive treatment options available that bring relief to such patients.'
Ms Vishaka Goyal, Co-founder of ClinicSpots, a healthcare and doctor discovery platform, states, 'Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney is the most committed neurosurgeon I have come across to date. His exceptional surgical skills, patient-handling expertise and multilingual proficiency make him a patient's doctor. I fully endorse him as one of India's best neurosurgeons”.
He proceeds to state that medications are the first line of treatment. Most recommended medications include anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine. These stabilize the nerve activity and reduce the pain to a great extent. Doctors also prescribe baclofen, a muscle relaxant.
If medicines do not help or cause serious side effects, neurosurgeons recommend microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery. In this surgery, the neurosurgeon repositions or removes the blood vessels that compress or contact the trigeminal nerve, bringing relief to the patient.
Stereotactic radiosurgery is yet another procedure to treat trigeminal neuralgia. The patient will wear a lightweight headframe to stabilize the head and lie down on the moving table. Referring to a high-resolution MRI, the neurosurgeon performs the gamma knife radiosurgery, which typically lasts up to 75 minutes. The patient can return home in a couple of hours.
He shares a patient story of a 29-year-old young lady with severe pain on the left side of her face who approached him for treatment. The pain extended to her left cheek and eye. She did not wish to touch that area as it was very severe. She was not getting relief despite consuming high doses of pain relief medicines.
The doctor proceeded with an MRI to investigate further. The report suggested an artery was touching the trigeminal nerve. Hence, she was suffering from this intense and sharp shooting type of pain.
Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney recommended a microvascular decompression surgery to prevent the contact of the artery with the trigeminal nerve and bring relief to the patient. In this surgery, the neurologist separates the artery and places a Teflon sheet to prevent it from touching the trigeminal nerve in the future. Once the neurosurgeon prevents the contact of both nerves, the symptoms disappear.
In this case, the girl experienced total improvement, and all her pain episodes vanished immediately after the surgery. She had recovered fully. Hence, the surgery was a success. Even today, she regularly visits Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney for follow-ups and has no complaints or issues relating to this condition.
Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney states, 'Microvascular decompression surgery is a safe and reliable surgery with high success rates. I have successfully treated many trigeminal neuralgia patients through this surgery. These surgeries deliver gratifying results as many patients experience relief from bouts of pain.'
About Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney
Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney is a brilliant neurosurgeon with expertise in minimally invasive brain surgeries. He is known for his expertise in performing complex neurosurgical and neurotrauma procedures, including microvascular decompression surgery, brain surgery, brain tumor surgery, spine surgery, epilepsy surgery, deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS), Parkinson's treatment, and seizure treatment.
He is a patient-centric doctor who can converse in nearly ten languages and puts most of his patients at ease. They relate well with him and trust him to help them recover fully from their illnesses.
For more details, contact Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney at
Email - gurneetsawhney@gmail.com
Clinic Address
NEUROLIFE BRAIN & SPINE CLINIC,
C-118, 1st floor, Hall Mark Commercial Complex,
Vasant Oscar, LBS Marg,
Mulund West, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400082.