Factors that may delay disappearance of trigeminal neuralgia after percutaneous balloon compression

Introduction. We set out to explore the factors that may affect delayed disappearance (DD) of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) after percutaneous balloon compression (PBC). Material and methods. PBC was undergone by 221 patients with TN (95 male, 126 female) aged 33–89 years (mean 65). Delayed disappearance after surgery occurred in 59 patients. Follow-up continued until pain disappeared. Results. A total of 221 patients, with an overall effective rate of 98.19%, including 59 patients with DD (26.70%), 158 patients with non-DD (71.49%), and four patients without relief, were included in this study. The time of delayed disappearance ranged from two to 30 days after surgery, with an average of c.9 days. Factors related to delayed disappearance included symptom duration (≥ 8 years), history of radiofrequency thermocoagulation, diabetes mellitus, herpes zoster, pain involving V2, and non-pear-shaped balloon. These were independent influencing factors (p < 0.05). Conclusions. PBC is a safe and effective surgical method for treating TN. Delayed disappearance is a common phenomenon after surgery, and is influenced by many factors.