Microvascular Decompression (MVD) Surgery Cost In India
How Much Does Microvascular Decompression (MVD) surgery cost in India?
1.The Average cost of Microvascular Decompression (MVD) Cost in India range USD5000 – USD7000, it depends on hospitals and surgeon experience.
2.The Success rate of Microvascular decompression is more then 95% in India.
3.The hospital stay will be approx. 3-4 days and outside of the hospital 2 weeks.
What is Microvascular Decompression Surgery?
Microvascular Decompression (MVD) is a surgical procedure designed to treat facial pain or facial spasm that is refractory to medical therapies.
This microsurgical technique involves protecting important nerves, known as cranial nerves, with small Teflon sponges. In specific instances, small arteries and/or veins irritate these critical nerves by pushing on them. This anatomical relationship is often referred to as a “neurovascular conflict”.
Pressure on one or more nerves can cause severe pain as well as painful muscle spasms. MVD is most often used in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
Who is a candidate?
You may be a candidate for MVD if you have:
trigeminal neuralgia that is not well controlled with medication and you desire minimal to no facial numbness that may be associated with other treatments such as percutaneous stereotactic radiofrequency rhizotomy (PSR) or glycerol injection
facial pain isolated in the ophthalmic division or in all three trigeminal divisions
facial pain recurrence after a previous percutaneous or radiosurgery procedure
Because MVD involves the use of general anesthesia and brain surgery, patients with other medical conditions or who are in poor health may not be candidates. MVD is not successful in treating facial pain caused by multiple sclerosis. Because of the low risk of hearing loss, MVD may not be suitable for patients who have hearing loss in the other ear.
What are the symptoms of MVD Surgery
One or more of the following symptoms may occur:
- Intermittent twinges of mild pain lasting from a few seconds to several minutes
- severe episodes of searing, shooting, jabbing pain that feel like electric shocks
- sudden attacks of pain triggered by stimuli that are usually not painful, such as by touching the face, chewing, speaking, or brushing the teeth
- spasms of pain which last from a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes
- episodes of cluster attacks, which may last much longer, but between them, there may be no pain
- pain wherever the trigeminal nerve and its branches may reach, including the forehead, eyes, lips, gums, teeth, jaw, and cheek
- pain in one side of the face, or, less frequently, both sides
- pain that is focused in one spot or spreads in a wider pattern
- attacks of pain that occur more regularly and intensely over time
- tingling or numbness in the face before pain develops
- Attacks of pain may occur hundreds of times each day in severe cases. Some patients may have no symptoms for months or years between attacks.
- Some patients will have specific points on their face that trigger pain when if touched.
What are the Causes of MVD Surgery
The main cause of trigeminal neuralgia is blood vessels pressing on the root of the trigeminal nerve.
This makes the nerve transmit pain signals that are experienced as stabbing pains. Pressure on this nerve may also be caused by a tumor or multiple sclerosis (MS).
Other causes may include:
- Multiple sclerosis: This is due to demyelinization of the nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia typically appears in the advanced stages of multiple sclerosis.
- A tumor presses against the trigeminal nerve: This is a rare cause.
- Physical damage to the nerve: This could be the result of injury, a dental or surgical procedure, or infection.
- Family history: The formation of blood vessels is inherited.
What are the risks of Microvascular decompression (MVD) Surgery?
Microvascular decompression (MVD) Surgery is an invasive procedure, and while safe in expert hands, does have potential rare/infrequent risks, including:
- Blooding in wound
- Infection
- Hearing loss, facial numbness, and/or facial weakness (usually temporary, rarely permanent)
- Spinal fluid leak
- Difficulty with speech or swallowing
- Stroke or hemorrhage (very rare)
How do you diagnose trigeminal neuralgia?
There’s no specific test for trigeminal neuralgia, so a diagnosis is usually based on your symptoms and description of the pain. If you’ve experienced attacks of facial pain, the doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms, such as: how often do the pain attacks happen.
- Pecial MRI (“Trigeminal neuralgia protocol MRI”)
- Special CT scan (“Brainlab CT”)
- Hearing test (audiogram)
- Blood work and possibly a EKG
- Baseline brain wave monitoring (used to monitor nerves at surgery)
- Preoperative physical and evaluation
- Updated list of medications to preoperative evaluation.
Before MVD Procedure
Your Surgeon will explain the surgery to you and if you have any question or doubt you can ask your surgeons.
You will be asked to sign a consent form that gives your permission to do the surgery.
Your doctor will do a physical exam to make sure that you are in good health before undergoing the procedure. You may have blood tests or other diagnostic tests.
Tell your doctor if you are sensitive to or are allergic to any medications, latex, tape, contrast dyes, iodine, shellfish, or anesthetic agents (local and general).
Tell your doctor of all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) and supplements that you are taking.
Tell your doctor if you have a history of bleeding disorders or if you are taking any anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medications, aspirin, or other medications that affect blood clotting. It may be necessary for you to stop these medications prior to the procedure.
tell your doctor if you have any type of implant(s), such as a pacemaker and/or implantable defibrillator, artificial heart valve, surgical clips for a brain aneurysm, implanted medications pump, chemotherapy port, nerve stimulators, eye or ear implants, stents, coils, or filters.
inform your surgeon, If you are pregnant or suspect that you are pregnant. Women of child-bearing age may be asked to give a urine specimen for pregnancy testing prior to the procedure.
You may be given a special shampoo to wash your hair with the night before or the morning before the procedure.
You may receive a sedative prior to the procedure to help you relax.
You will be asked to fast for eight hours before the procedure, generally after midnight.
During Microvascular Decompression (MVD) Surgery
Your will be asked to change your clothes and wear hospital gown.
You will be asked to remove any jewelry, hairpins, dentures, or other objects that may interfere with the procedure.
An intravenous (IV) line may be started in the hand or arm in order to give medications and/or fluids during the procedure.
If the surgical site is covered with extra hair, the hair may be removed.
You will be put to sleep with General anesthesia.
Your surgeon will make an cut (incision) behind your ear on the side of your head where you feel pain and numbness.
A small piece of bone will be removed for the time being so that your surgeon can access your brain.
Your surgeon will carefully navigate the area and isolate the nerve that is causing the pain, most often the Trigeminal nerve, with the help of operative microscope,
The surgeon will then secure a small Teflon sponge between the nerve and the blood vessel believed to be causing the compression and pain on the nerve.
Once this procedure is complete the surgeon will replace the the bone and close up the wound.
After MVD Surgery
After surgery, you’ll be taken to the recovery room where vital signs are monitored as you awake from anesthesia. Next, you are transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for close observation overnight.
You may experience some nausea and headache after surgery; medication can control these symptoms. When your condition stabilizes, you’ll be transferred to a regular room where you’ll increase your activity level (sitting in a chair, walking).
In 2-3 days you’ll be released from the hospital and given discharge instructions.
Patients taking anticonvulsant or pain medication for trigeminal neuralgia prior to surgery will be weaned off the medications according to a schedule to decrease risk of withdrawal and side effects.
Frequently asked questions about Microvascular decompression (MVD) Surgery?
Q. What is the recovery time for trigeminal neuralgia surgery?
A. A microvascular decompression may require up to four days of hospitalization. Most people return to normal activities in about three weeks but may have to avoid strenuous activities for a while longer.
Most people can resume normal activities within two days after percutaneous procedures or a Gamma Knife surgery.
Read More About Gamma Knife Surgery
Q. What are the results?
A. Microvascular decompression (MVD) Surgery is highly successful in treating trigeminal neuralgia (95% effective) with a relatively low risk of pain recurrence (20% within 10 years). The major benefit of MVD is that it causes little or no facial numbness compared to percutaneous stereotactic rhizotomy (PSR).
Q. How long does it take to recover from microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery?
A. A microvascular decompression surgery may require up to 4 days of hospitalization. Most patients return to normal activities in about three weeks but may have to avoid strenuous activities for a while longer. Most people can resume normal activities within two days after percutaneous procedures or a Gamma Knife surgery.
Q. How safe is microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery?
A. Microvascular decompression (MVD) Surgery is a type of neurosurgery used to treat trigeminal neuralgia (TN) caused by the vertebrobasilar contact/compression. The surgery is not risk-free, however; it may cause recurrent facial pain or other side-effects.
Q. How long does it take to heal from MVD surgery?
A. Swelling and/or bruising on your scalp or neck area are common after surgery. This usually disappears within 2-4 weeks after surgery. Some neck pain and headache can be expected after surgery. In most cases, these discomforts will gradually go away within a few weeks.
Q. Why does trigeminal neuralgia get worse at night?
A. At night our body temperature fluctuates and goes down a bit. Most people tend to sleep in a cooler room as well. The thought is that damaged nerves might interpret the temperature change as pain or tingling, which can heighten the sense of neuropathy.
Q. Is MVD brain surgery?
A. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is a surgery to relieve abnormal compression of a cranial nerve causing trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, or hemifacial spasm. MVD involves opening the skull (craniotomy) and inserting a sponge between the nerve and offending artery triggering the pain signals.
Q. Can you have microvascular decompression surgery twice?
A. Repeat MVD can still achieve an excellent outcome in patients with persistent or recurrent pain. However, the risk of facial numbness is increased.