Expert consensus reached on microvascular decompression for facial myasthenia

  Recently, the Chinese Expert Consensus on Microvascular Decompression for Facial Myoclonus (2014), published in the Chinese Journal of Neurosurgery, was highlighted at the 1st Chinese Summit Forum on Microvascular Decompression for Cranial Nerve Disorders held in Xi’an by the Chinese Collaborative Group on Microvascular Decompression. The research results in the field of physiological monitoring were listed as the main reference.  Microvascular decompression surgery (“MVD”) is a type of functional neurosurgery with a high degree of delicacy, and its standardized operation technique still needs to be further promoted in order to maximize the efficiency of the operation and avoid serious complications that are difficult for patients to accept. At the same time, there is an uneven development among different regions, and this expert consensus is important to improve the overall treatment level of MVD in China.  Cranial nerve diseases are diseases related to brain nerves caused by various factors, mainly including trigeminal neuralgia, facial spasm, and glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Traditional treatment methods such as medication, physiotherapy and local injection are not very effective or can be effective to a certain extent, but the efficacy will diminish over time, while manifest microvascular decompression is currently known to be the preferred method for treating these diseases, and the overall efficiency can reach about 90%. Currently, the treatment of these diseases at Sanbo Brain Hospital is done through imaging evaluation and the use of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, which can give improved cure rates and reduce complications. After a case sharing at the forum, Dr. Ren Jie, deputy chief physician of Sanbo, answered questions from the attendees on how to reduce surgical complications.