Pain physician
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Percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) has become one of the most common and effective minimally invasive treatments for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). However, the initial and long-term pain outcomes, as well as the complication rates of PBC for patients with TN with concomitant continuous pain (CCP) have yet to be specifically documented. ⋯ This is the first specifically reported experience treating TN with CCP with PBC. PBC can result in significant relief of both episodic and constant pain from TN with CCP. Patients with a longer duration of pain and prior neurodestructive procedures have a higher risk of poor outcomes. The presence of CCP is not associated with pain outcomes and should not be considered a contraindication to PBC.