HEMIFACIAL SPASM (HFS) is an involuntary twitching or contraction of the facial muscles on one side of the face. Medication, Surgery, and Botox injections are treatment options to stop the spasms and relieve the discomfort. Medications and injections sometimes fail to control spasms or cause side effects.
Our surgeons at Salus treat HEMIFACIAL SPASM by performing the following surgical procedure:
MICROVASCULAR DECOMPRESSION
Microvascular decompression (MVD) is a surgical procedure that relieves abnormal compression of a cranial nerve. It is performed to treat trigeminal neuralgia, vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia, and hemifacial spasm. These conditions are often caused by an artery or vein compressing the nerve root as it leaves the brainstem. When compressed, normal nerve impulses can recruit nearby nerve fibers and send faulty messages. Medications often provide relief to patients with these conditions, but when medications become ineffective or cause serious side effects, one treatment option is MVD.
During MICROVASCULAR DECOMPRESSION SURGERY, your neurosurgeon makes a hole in the bone (Craniotomy) at the back of your head to expose the facial nerve at the brainstem. A Teflon sponge is placed between the offending blood vessel and the facial nerve
About 90% of patients return to their regular life style after two months. Like all surgeries, there are risks. More frequent side effects include decreased hearing and facial weakness.