Our team at the Trigeminal Neuralgia Surgery Center actively lead and participate in a variety of research projects. The key areas we explore are cost and safety of microvascular decompression, pain and quality of life after the decompression procedure, imaging of the trigeminal nerve, results of rhizotomy and molecular mechanisms of trigeminal neuralgia.

Below you can find selected research papers from our team grouped by topic. Feel free to reach out to our team if you have questions about our research or what it means for your trigeminal neuralgia case.

Microvascular Decompression

Cost Savings and Quality Improvement

• Factors Predicting Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks in Microvascular Decompressions: A Case Series of 1011 Patients.
  Xu R, So RJ, Materi J, Nair SK, Alomari SO, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023 Mar 1;24(3):262-267. Epub 2022 Dec 9.

• Safety and Cost Savings Associated with Reduced Inpatient Hospitalization for Microvascular Decompression.
  Xu R, Nair SK, Materi J, Raj D, Park G, Medikonda R, Alomari S, Kim T, Xia Y, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C. World Neurosurg. 2022 Oct;166:e504-e510. Epub 2022 Jul 13.

• Case Series in the Utility of Invasive Blood Pressure Monitoring in Microvascular Decompression.
  Xu R, Nair SK, Materi J, Raj D, Medikonda R, Shah PP, Kannapadi NV, Wang A, Mintz D, Gottschalk A, Antonik LJ, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Lim M. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2022 May 1;22(5):262-268.

Pain-free Survival Following Microvascular Decompression

• The influence of prior percutaneous rhizotomy on outcomes following microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia.
  Nair SK, Xie ME, Kalluri A, Ran K, Kilgore C, Halbert-Elliott K, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C, Xu R.J Neurosurg. 2023 Oct 20:1-5.

• Frailty predicts worse pain outcomes for older TN patients treated with microvascular decompression.
  Kilgore CB, Kalluri AL, Nair SK, Halbert-Elliot KM, Ejimogu E, Dong B, Chakravarti S, Abdulrahim MW, Jackson CM, Lim M, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Xu R. World Neurosurg. 2023 Oct 9:S1878-8750(23)01403-1.

• The role of multiple sclerosis subtype in microvascular decompression outcomes for patients with trigeminal neuralgia.
  Kalluri AL, So RJ, Nair SK, Materi J, Wang D, Behera N, Kornberg MD, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C, Xu R.Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2023 Oct; 233:107967. Epub 2023 Sep 7.

• A Case Series of Stereotactic Radiosurgery First for Trigeminal Neuralgia: A History of Stereotactic Radiosurgery Does Not Complicate Microvascular Decompression.
  Nair SK, Xie ME, Ran K, Kalluri A, Kilgore C, Halbert-Elliott K, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C, Xu R.Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023 Oct 1;25(4):353-358. Epub 2023 Jul 11.

• Preoperative Characteristics and Postoperative Pain Outcomes in Trigeminal Neuralgia With Concomitant Autoimmune Disease.
  Kalluri AL, So RJ, Ran KR, Xie ME, Kilgore C, Nair SK, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Xu R.Neurosurgery. 2023 Jun 12.

• Outcomes After Microvascular Decompression for Sole Arterial Versus Venous Compression in Trigeminal Neuralgia.
  Nair SK, Xie ME, Ran K, Kalluri A, Kilgore C, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C, Xu R.World Neurosurg. 2023 May;173:e542-e547. Epub 2023 Mar 6.

• Sequential onset of bilateral trigeminal neuralgia: clinical presentation and outcomes.
  Xu R, So RJ, Lee KK, Kalluri AL, Materi J, Nair SK, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C.Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2023 Jun;229:107745. Epub 2023 Apr 29.

• Sex-Specific Pain Outcomes Following Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia.
  Kilgore CB, So RJ, Storm K, Nair SK, Ran KR, Kalluri AL, Lim M, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Xu R.World Neurosurg. 2023 May;173:e431-e435. Epub 2023 Feb 23.

• A racial analysis of pain outcomes following microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia.
  So RJ, Kalluri AL, Storm K, Nair SK, Budihal BR, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C, Xu R.J Neurosurg. 2023 Feb 3;139(3):633-639. Print 2023 Sep 1.

• A Case Series of Trigeminal Neuralgia With Pure Venous Compression: Postoperative Outcomes Associated With Intraoperative Venous Transposition Versus Coagulation.
  So RJ, Kalluri AL, Materi J, Nair SK, Lim M, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Xu R.Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023 Apr 1;24(4):377-382. Epub 2022 Dec 12.

• Multiple Vessel Compression of the Trigeminal Nerve Is Associated With Worse Outcomes in Trigeminal Neuralgia After Microvascular Decompression.
  So RJ, Kalluri AL, Zhu S, Materi J, Nair SK, Lim M, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Xu R.Neurosurgery. 2023 May 1;92(5):1029-1034. Epub 2022 Dec 30.

• A Potential Role for Steroids in Acute Pain Management in Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia.
  Xu R, Nair SK, Shah PP, Kannapadi N, Materi J, Alomari S, Kim T, Kalluri A, Xia Y, So RJ, Lim M, Bettegowda C.World Neurosurg. 2022 Nov;167:e1291-e1298. Epub 2022 Sep 14.

• Internal neurolysis versus intraoperative glycerin rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia.
  Xu R, Materi J, Raj D, Alomari S, Xia Y, Nair SK, Shah PP, Kannapadi N, Kim T, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Lim M.J Neurosurg. 2022 May 6;138(1):270-275. Print 2023 Jan 1.

Rhizotomy

• Neurovascular Compression in Patients With Trigeminal Neuralgia May Be Associated With Worse Outcomes After Primary Percutaneous Rhizotomy
  Nair SK, Al-Khars H, Kalluri A, Ran K, Kilgore C, Budihal BR, Abdulrahim M, Yedavalli V, Jackson CM, Huang J, Lim M, Bettegowda C, Xu R. Neurosurgery. 2023 Dec 7.

Radiologic Imaging of the Trigeminal Nerve

• Application of Sequential Thresholding-Based Automated Reconstruction of the Trigeminal Nerve in Trigeminal Neuralgia.
  Xie ME, Halbert-Elliott K, Nair SK, Huang J, Yedavalli VS, Bettegowda C, Xu R.World Neurosurg. 2023 Oct 27:S1878-8750(23)01501-2.

• The Role of Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessing Neurovascular Compression Before Microvascular Decompression in Trigeminal Neuralgia.
  Xu R, Nair SK, Raj D, Materi J, So RJ, Gujar SK, Huang J, Blitz AM, Lim M, Sair HI, Bettegowda C.World Neurosurg. 2022 Dec;168:e216-e222. Epub 2022 Sep 24.

Molecular Mechanisms of Trigeminal Neuralgia

• Review article
  • The pathophysiology of trigeminal neuralgia: a molecular review
    Dong B, Xu R, Lim M. J Neurosurg. 2023 Mar 31;139(5):1471-1479.

• Basic science investigation
  • Identification of the NRF2 transcriptional network as a therapeutic target for trigeminal neuropathic pain.
    Vasavda C, Xu R, Liew J, Kothari R, Dhindsa RS, Semenza ER, Paul BD, Green DP, Sabbagh MF, Shin JY, Yang W, Snowman AM, Albacarys LK, Moghekar A, Pardo-Villamizar CA, Luciano M, Huang J, Bettegowda C, Kwatra SG, Dong X, Lim M, Snyder SH.Sci Adv. 2022 Aug 5;8(31):eabo5633. Epub 2022 Aug 3.