- Trigeminal Disease occurs in the fifth cranial nerve that leads to the brain and among the most painful conditions known to humankind
- Depression is often noted and there are reports of patients committing suicide or feeling suicidal
BCR NEWS (NOIDA): The doctors from the Department of Neurosurgery at Fortis Hospital, Noida have brought in surgical treatment to patients to get relieved from the suicide disease or the Trigeminal Disease (TN) bringing relief to many suffering from the same. The surgical procedure was led by Dr. Manish Vaish, Senior Consultant, Department of Neurosurgery.
Mr. Rajnish Bansal, a patient in his late forties was presented with severe pain in the head and jaw area. Mistaking it for a migraine and sometimes tooth pain, he had been on high dosage of medicines and was also being administered injections for relief from pain. He also reported that he had been through going radiofrequency treatment to alleviate the suffering.
Trigeminal Disease, also known as the Suicide Disease, is a neuropathic disorder characterized by episodes of intense pain in the face, originating from the trigeminal nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia most commonly involves the middle branch (themaxillary nerve or V2) and lower branch (mandibular nerve or V3) of the trigeminal nerve, but the pain may be felt in the ear, eye, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, cheeks, teeth, or jaw and side of the face. This disorder is characterized by episodes of intense facial pain and can last from a few seconds to several minutes or hours. TN is not easily controlled but can be managed with a variety of treatment options.
Dr. Manish Vaish, Senior Consultant, Department of Neurosurgery said, “Normally, for patients suffering from the Trigeminal Disease medications are given. However, since the areas of pain are the head and the jaw, the patients either get treated for migraine or they even get their teeth removed. Out of 10 patients, as many as four to five get their teeth removed, landing up with incomplete course of treatment. There are other solutions for the problem like radiofrequency and injections. However, these may even lead to damage of the surrounding nerves while surgery preserves the nerves,”Dr. Vaish added.
“Mr. Gagan Sehgal, Zonal Director, Fortis Hospital, Noida, said, “While the disease maybe relatively common, but the diagnosis for most comes late. With our doctors specialised in this branch of nerve pain, we are able to diagnose quicker and treat the disease faster. We have once again proven the skills of our doctors to look at medical conditions in a holistic and long term way than a localised way to treat in a short time.”
Expressing their gratitude the patients said, “The suffering was so severe from pain in the head and the jaw line that it was impossible to enjoy even so much as a meal for years. We are extremely grateful to the doctors for giving us a second lease of life. Now we are able to enjoy life so much more with the pain gone.”
The Trigeminal Disease has been described as among the most painful conditions known to humankind. Research estimates that 1 in 15,000 or 20,000 people suffer from Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), although the actual figure may be significantly higher due to frequent misdiagnosis. In most cases, TN symptoms begin appearing more frequently over the age of 50, although there have been cases with patients being as young as three years of age. It is known to be more common in females than males.
About Fortis Healthcare Limited
Fortis Healthcare Limited is a leading integrated healthcare delivery service provider in India. The healthcare verticals of the company primarily comprise hospitals, diagnostics and day care specialty facilities. The company operates its healthcare delivery services in India, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka with 54 healthcare facilities (including projects under development), approximately 10,000 potential beds and 260 diagnostic centres. In a global study of the 30 most technologically advanced hospitals in the world, its flagship, the Fortis Memorial Research Institute’ (FMRI), was ranked No.2, by ‘topmastersinhealthcare.com, and placed ahead of many other outstanding medical institutions in the world.
