Trigeminal neuralgia treated by microvascular decompression: a long-term follow-up study.

Since 1976, 133 patients treated by posterior fossa microvascular decompression (MVD) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) have been followed-up prospectively to determine the incidence of recurrent TN. The follow-up period was between 6 months and 15 years, with 60 patients having been follow-up for more than 5 years. Of these patients, 71% have remained pain-free, while 29% have suffered a major or minor recurrence. Of patients who developed recurrent TN, 90% did so within 2 years of operation. No patients who were pain-free up to 5 years after operation subsequently developed recurrent TN. Recurrent TN was more likely to occur when the operative findings did not show nerve root distortion or displacement, or when the age of onset was less than 35 years.