(Disclaimer: This article is for scientific use only, and the information in the following content has been processed to protect patient privacy)
Abstract: The patient, Wang Da-ma, had been suffering from constant eyelid twitching for the past six months, which was particularly obvious when she was emotional, nervous or tired. After the diagnosis of facial and cervical spasm, he underwent minimally invasive craniotomy for facial nerve decompression, after which his right facial twitching symptoms stopped and his body gradually recovered.
Basic information】Female, 65 years old
Disease Type】Facial spasm
Hospital】Qingdao Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital
Date of Consultation】January 2021
Treatment plan】Surgical treatment (facial nerve decompression)
Treatment Period】7 days of inpatient treatment, 1 month of outpatient follow-up
Treatment effect】No significant twitching on the right side of the face
I. Initial interview
The more nervous the patient was, the worse the condition became, which not only affected her sleep, but also seriously affected her social life. The patient therefore went to several hospitals and was diagnosed with facial spasm, but refused to continue treatment after learning that she needed open-heart surgery. Recently, the patient’s right face was twitching more and more, and his quality of life was significantly reduced. The cranial MRI clearly indicated that the right facial nerve root was compressed by microvessels, and the patient was diagnosed as having facial myoclonus, so he was admitted to the hospital.
II. Treatment process
After admission, minimally invasive cranial facial nerve decompression was considered for the patient’s condition, so the nursing team carefully explained the specific condition and surgical plan to the patient, and gave psychological comfort to the patient, who expressed willingness to accept surgical treatment. The preoperative examination was perfect, and there were no obvious contraindications to surgery, so the right facial nerve decompression was performed under general anesthesia. The operation was performed with a minimally invasive locked-hole inflow, and the opening was only the size of a $1 coin, located in the postauricular hairline. The opening was only the size of a $1 coin and was located in the posterior hairline. The responsible vessel was clearly located and separated from the facial nerve and a Teflon spacer was placed. The procedure went smoothly and took about 3 hours to perform with minimal bleeding.
III. Treatment results
Half an hour after the operation, the patient slowly woke up and felt that the right side of his face was no longer twitching, and the patient felt better. 7 days after the operation, the stitches were removed from the surgical incision, and the incision healed well without any abnormal symptoms such as redness, swelling and pus flow. The patient was allowed to be discharged from the hospital. Before discharge, the patient was asked to review in 1 month, and the patient expressed his understanding.
IV. Notes
I am glad that the patient’s symptoms have been improved after treatment, the following matters need to be noted in daily life.
1, happy mood: to maintain a relaxed mood, do not over-anxiety, anxiety can also cause aggravation of the disease.
2, pay attention to warmth: avoid cold air stimulation, pay attention to cold, do not use cold water to wash the face, in case of wind, rain or cold weather pay attention to head and face warmth.
3, light diet: avoid spicy, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, strong tea and other foods.
4, regular life: to maintain adequate sleep, moderate exercise, enhance physical fitness, to avoid recurrence of disease.
V. Personal insight
The most common cause of facial muscle spasm is microvascular compression of the facial nerve root, as in this case. Usually, facial muscle spasm caused by microvascular compression can be treated by medication and external Chinese medicine to reduce the symptoms, but if you want to solve the cause, microvascular decompression surgery can be performed under the guidance of a professional doctor, which can eradicate the symptoms and preserve the nerve function. Before the surgery, the patient should be carefully explained the ways and means of surgery to relieve the patient’s psychological pressure and fear of surgery and to increase the trust in the doctor.