What to Expect | Johns Hopkins Trigeminal Neuralgia Surgery Center

At our center, treatment is tailored to you — taking into account your medical history, response to prior therapies and what you'd like to achieve.

We partner with each patient to relieve pain and restore quality of life. Success is a subjective measure that differs for each patient, and we're not happy with results until our patients are too.

Helping You Choose the Best Surgical Treatment

Our team will work with you to develop a custom trigeminal neuralgia treatment plan that may involve one or several of these procedures.

Rhizotomy

An outpatient, minimally-invasive procedure to destroy the nerve fibers responsible for transmitting pain.

Microvascular Decompression

Performed under general anesthesia, this minimally-invasive surgery separates the nerve from any blood vessel rubbing against it.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

An outpatient, minimally-invasive treatment that uses a focused burst of radiation to target the nerve.

About these procedures

It doesn’t matter if you are coming from across town or across state borders, we work with you to offer comprehensive evaluation and treatment for your trigeminal neuralgia pain.”
- Dr. Judy Huang

Patient Story Michelle's Story | Trigeminal Neuralgia Surgery

Michelle's debilitating facial pain from trigeminal neuralgia prevented her from working, speaking with friends and family, and simple pleasures like cooking and cycling with her husband. Her life turned around following microvascular decompression surgery at Johns Hopkins.

Multi-Specialty Expertise

Our team of trigeminal neuralgia surgeons works closely with experts in other fields to enhance your care.

Neuroradiology: to assess your scans and pinpoint the origin of your trigeminal neuralgia pain.
Neurosurgery: to optimize surgical techniques and ensure the delicate nerve structure is undisturbed.
Radiation oncology: to carefully deliver targeted radiation during stereotactic radiosurgery.
Pain management: to investigate other potential causes of facial pain if surgery is inadvisable.

Our Locations

In-person and telemedicine appointment options are available for initial consultations and follow-up care. If surgery is needed, your procedure will be performed in a state-of-the-art operating unit.