Zeitschrift für Wirbelsäulen- und Neurochirurgie

Teflon Ring Cover with Teflon Vertebral Vasculopexy: A Novel Technique for Microvascular Decompression in Complicated Trigeminal Neuralgia

Ganapathy S, Venugopal S and Abha V

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a common condition affecting the quality of life of millions across the world. The introduction of Microvascular decompression has significantly added to the armamentarium of the neurosurgeon in tackling this dreaded disease. Some anatomical variants where large ectatic basilar and vertebral arteries compressing on the Vth nerve are challenging to tackle. Many suggestions such as fascia vasculopexy, Teflon vasculopexy and sub temporal realignment of the basilar have been proposed to address the situation. We propose a simple technique where Teflon rings taken from a vascular graft are used to shield the nerve from the arteries in question, thereby liberating it from the pulsatile pressure of the vessels. We present our experiences regarding this novel technique here.