“Completely debilitating. Often spent days at home,” says South Floridian and CyberKnife Center of Miami patient Debbie Kattan as she describes how trigeminal neuralgia – a facial nerve disorder of the trigeminal nerve which can cause intense, sometimes constant pain – affected her life.
Debbie took pain medication, but it was ineffective. She even talked about surgery, but she didn’t like the risks, long recovery or the fact that the invasive procedure may not work.
“CyberKnife was the least invasive option,” Debbie says. And after her husband saw an ad on television, she decided to give it a try.
Facial Pain Treatment Gives Hope to Patients
“Patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia should always consider alternative options to surgery,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, medical director of CyberKnife Miami and board-certified radiation oncologist. “After trying medication, ask your doctor, is there a non-invasive treatment available? Typically, patients need only one CyberKnife treatment. If the pain returns, a second treatment may be considered but we’ve been very successful with just one treatment.”
Trigeminal neuralgia pain attacks can last only a few seconds or a few minutes, and they’re often described as sudden, intense shock-like or stabbing pains on one side of the face. There can be burning, throbbing, aching or tingling between attacks, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The attacks can get worse over time. And while they typically occur in those over the age of 50, they can start at any age. More women tend to be affected than men.
Medications can help, so can complimentary treatments like meditation, acupuncture or biofeedback. But there is no guarantee.
CyberKnife can offer relief fast by delivering high doses of radiation directly to the trigeminal nerve to desensitize it. The treatment requires no anesthesia.
“I wore a special mask that was made for the treatment,” Debbie says.
And after the 45-minute treatment and a mild headache the day after, she says she was “100%” back to normal.
The largest prospective, single-institution study from Italy published in the journal Neurosurgery in 2018 found: “Pain relief was achieved in 93.5% of patients after a median delay of three weeks after treatment” with CyberKnife.”
Nearly 75% of the patients in the study achieved pain relief after just one treatment.
These patients were able to decrease their pain medications and eventually stop using them. Of the patients in the study, 33 or 25% of patients underwent a second treatment with CyberKnife. And after that treatment they achieved pain relief.
Facial Pain Treatment Miami
CyberKnife is FDA approved for trigeminal neuralgia. Yet many of those with the condition aren’t aware this easy, simple treatment exists.
“I’m surprised at how long many of these patients have suffered before they are referred to a CyberKnife center for treatment. That’s why it’s so very important that we get this information out about CyberKnife as a non-invasive treatment option for trigeminal neuralgia,” says Dr. Pomper.
CyberKnife Miami for Trigeminal Neuralgia
CyberKnife Miami is the only free-standing CyberKnife center in South Florida. Any patient can go directly there for treatments or consultations, and any doctor can send patients to CyberKnife Miami as well. Patients come from all over the world to be treated for nerve disorders, plus cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.
If you would like to find out more about treatment with CyberKnife call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now for more information www.cyberknifemiami.com.