A Single Center Retrospective Study: Evaluation of Demographic Structure, Pain Characteristics, Early and Late Results, and Complications in 214 Trigeminal Neuralgia Patients Treated with Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation

Objective: Gasser's ganglion blockade with radiofrequency thermocoagulation is a treatment option for trigeminal neuralgia.The aim of this study was to investigate the early and late treatment results of patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia who underwent Gasser's ganglion blockade with percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation and to evaluate the possibilities and limitations of this treatment method.Methods: Between January 2005 and October 2020, 214 patients admitted to our clinic with a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia were included in this study.These patients were evaluated in terms of age, sex, involved side, involved branch, early intervention results, pain-free periods, and complications.Results: Two hundred and seventy five procedures were performed in 214 patients.Of the patients, 125 (58.41%) were female and 89 (41.59%) were male.The mean age was 58.48±14.07years.Pain was predominantly on the right side (61.68%).The most commonly involved trigeminal nerve branch group was V2-V3 (35.98%).The early success rate after radiofrequency thermocoagulation was 93.09%.At the end of the 36-month follow-up, 78.12% of the patients had no recurrence of pain. Conclusion:Although there were some differences in the involved branch of the trigeminal nerve, the results were concentrated on V2 and V2-V3.Early results were consistent with those reported in the literature.When the late-term results were evaluated, differences were observed in the follow-up periods.The complications were consistent with those reported in the literature.In conclusion, radiofrequency thermocoagulation in trigeminal neuralgia is a safe, low complication rate, and recurrent treatment method with correct indication and application.