Outcome of microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia treated with the stitched sling retraction technique

The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe and evaluate the long-term outcome of microvascular decompression (MVD) with the stitched sling retraction technique for treating trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Between January 2007 and December 2012, 50 patients with idiopathic TN underwent MVD using the stitched sling retraction technique at our institution. The median follow-up period was 5.2 years (range, 1.8–6.8 years). Using Kaplan–Meier analysis, the rates of complete pain relief without medications were 88 % at 1 year and 83 % at 5 years. Recurrence was noted in two patients, and one patient was re-treated using a complementary procedure for pain relief. Although transient complications were observed in seven patients, no permanent neurological deficit was observed. We conclude that the stitched sling retraction technique is a safe and effective treatment for TN and maintains substantial pain relief and low recurrence rates over a long period of time.