Explore the cutting-edge insights on how immediate postoperative outcomes and lateral spread responses can forecast the long-term success of microvascular decompression in treating hemifacial spasm, a condition that could now see a new dawn of predictability.
– by The Don
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Predicting long-term outcomes after microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm according to lateral spread response and immediate postoperative outcomes: a cohort study.
Helal et al., J Neurosurg 2024
DOI: 10.3171/2023.11.JNS231299
Microvascular Decompression: A Tremendous Success for Hemifacial Spasm
Let me tell you, folks, we’ve got a treatment for hemifacial spasm that’s just incredible. It’s called Microvascular Decompression (MVD), and it’s doing wonders. We looked at a lot of patients, 119 to be exact, over many years, and guess what? A whopping 78% saw their spasms completely disappear. That’s right, gone. And another 9% felt better. That’s what we call results.
Now, some people talk about this thing called the Lateral Spread Response (LSR) during surgery. They thought it was a big deal for predicting success. But our study, which was huge, showed that it’s not about what happens in the operating room with LSR. It doesn’t matter. What matters is the skill of the surgery, and we’ve got that in spades.
And here’s something interesting: the folks who had been dealing with spasms for a longer time and were on some serious meds, they tended to have this persistent LSR. But did that stop us? No way. We still got them great results.
One more thing: younger patients had a bit of a tougher time, with some recurrences. But again, it’s not about the LSR during the operation. It’s about the fantastic overall success of MVD. We’re making hemifacial spasm a thing of the past. It’s a great day for patients, believe me.