[Improved retrosigmoid approach operation in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the surgical method which can raise the treatment effect and reduce the complication occurrence of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) operation by retrosigmoid approach.

METHOD: Have improved the retrosigmoid approach in the skin incision, the hole position of bone, the intracranial operation skills and the duramatral suture, etc. By the improved retrosigmoid approach, we used partial sensory rhizotomy (PSR) to cure 54 cases with trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

RESULT: 52 cases got satisfactory treatment effect and no complication appeared. In the other 2 cases, the trigeminal nerve was not found in CPA.

CONCLUSION

The CPA operation by retrosigmoid approach is dangerous relatively, it usually can cause some serious complication. But improved retrosigmoid approach can expose CPA sufficiently and is convenient to operate. On the other hand, it can decrease intracranial unexpected hemorrhage and complication occurrence.