For nearly five years, Diana Thomas suffered from searing attacks of head pain, and no one knew exactly why.

It was a sharp, stabbing pain, followed by a lingering headache. Sometimes she even lost her vision.

Trying several different medications didn’t prevent the recurring attacks. One neurologist suspected it might be trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition that affects a large cranial nerve. The disorder causes debilitating pain in the face, strikes without warning and can last from a few seconds to a few minutes.

She started taking medication but found the side effects were even worse.

“I hated being on the medicine,” Diana says. “The side effects were hard on me. I just wasn’t myself.”

When a friend suggested Diana look into the Gamma Knife Center™ at Lancaster General for treatment, she made the trip from her home in Chambersburg to see if it would provide her the permanent relief she needed.

“That was the best decision I’ve ever made,” she says.

Chronic pain relief

Many people with trigeminal neuralgia experience pain in the jaw area, leading some to believe it’s a severe toothache.

“There are instances where patients will have a tooth pulled before they realize they have trigeminal neuralgia,” says Cris Burfete, RN, BSN, Gamma Knife Center nurse.

Medication can control the symptoms, Cris says. “However, medication will eventually start to fail. And for many patients, the medication makes them feel worse.”

Doctors determine if a patient has trigeminal neuralgia by reviewing their medical history, evaluating their symptoms, and taking an MRI scan to rule out all other possible causes.

Diana first came for consultation with a neurosurgeon and a radiation oncologist at Gamma Knife™. Once her condition was determined and that medication was no longer effective, she was scheduled for Gamma Knife treatment.

Gamma Knife is a state-of-the-art radiosurgical tool that focuses 201 tiny beams of radiation on a targeted area of the brain. It treats the area without need for an incision.

“We know how painful it can be for patients, so we usually see them one week, treat them the next,” Cris says.

The radiation beams target the problem nerve to eliminate the pain sensation. “It doesn’t kill the nerve. Patients still have normal function of the nerve,” Cris says.

Patients are usually done in four hours, and when they are done they can walk right out the door.

“I really felt like they were taking care of me, and that they were doing what was best for me,” Diana says.

Fast, permanent results

Sometimes the results are immediate, though it’s not unusual to take three months to work.

Cris says they’ve had a 78% success rate of total pain relief after one treatment. About 11% have some relief but require medication, and 11% report no improvement.

A patient can be a candidate for a second Gamma Knife treatment if they experience no change six months after their initial treatment.

Since opening in 1999, Gamma Knife at Lancaster General has treated 155 patients for trigeminal neuralgia. Only 28 required follow-up treatment.

Now 31, Diana is enjoying every moment with her husband and their 8-year-old son. She has suffered none of the attacks that once plagued her… and without medication.

“Results happened quickly and they’ve been permanent,” Diana says. “I’m really grateful for Gamma Knife… well worth the drive!”

• Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Q&A

 

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