The Outcome of Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm

Choi, Byoung Rak; Lee, Hai Ong; Koh, Eun Jeong; Choi, Ha Young

Original article

Journal of the Korean Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery 2009;5(2):102-105.
Published online September 30, 2009.

The Outcome of Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm

Byoung Rak Choi, Hai Ong Lee, Eun Jeong Koh, Ha Young Choi

Department of Neurosurgery, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju Korea

Abstract

Objective
Microvascular decompression (MVD) of the facial nerve is an effective treatment for hemifacial spasm (HFS). The authors investigated that the results of 180 microvascular decompression (MVD) procedures for hemifacial spasm. Method: The follow up period ranged from 6 months to 3 years. Of these, 69% (124 cases) were women (mean age 55). The vessel most frequently found to compress the facial nerve was the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (40%) followed by posterior inferior cerebellar artery (30%).
Results
For 180 cases, 140 patients (77.8%) had complete relief of spasm within 3 days after MVD, 29 patients (16.1%) subsequently experienced complete relief, noted in 4 days to 6 months after MVD, ten patients had delayed partial relief and remaining one patient showed no improvement. There were 9 cases of operation-related complications, including one case of ipsilateral hearing loss.
Conclusion
These results suggest that MVD is a high success rate and satisfactory treatment for hemifacial spasm.

Key Words: Hemifacial spasm, Microvascular decompression.