image: University Hospitals is the first health system in the world to offer a new type of minimally-invasive treatment with the OneRF® Trigeminal Nerve Ablation System. The two initial patients, successfully treated this month, reported pain relief from the procedure without complications.
Credit: NeurOne
CLEVELAND – Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a debilitating, chronic syndrome that causes sudden, severe, electric shock-like pain in the face. While TN isn’t life-threatening, it can severely alter quality of life and disrupt everyday activities, such as talking, chewing and smiling by triggering intense bouts of pain. The condition occurs when a blood vessel puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve near the brainstem, which provides sensation to the face and head.
Several types of treatments, surgically and through medications, can help manage symptoms, but it is typically a long-term condition. Many patients do not see results with medications alone and require some sort of surgical treatment.
University Hospitals is the first health system in the world to offer a new type of minimally-invasive treatment with the OneRF® Trigeminal Nerve Ablation System. The two initial patients, successfully treated this month, reported pain relief from the procedure without complications.
During the procedure, a needle is inserted through the cheek, guided by X-ray, to the trigeminal (Gasserian) ganglion. Radiofrequency energy creates heat to lesion, or partially ablates, the specific nerve fibers that transmit pain. Patients are sedated during the procedure and woken up to confirm the areas of treatment.
“This type of surgery has been performed for many decades with a radiofrequency probe, although this requires waking the patient up multiple times during the surgery and is only capable of testing and treating one pain distribution at a time,” explained neurosurgeon Michael Staudt, MD, the Lincoln Endowed Chair in Brain Health and an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at University Hospitals. “This new ablation probe is a step forward for our patients. It is a multi-contact probe designed to test and treat multiple nerve distributions without the need for repositioning. It also simplifies hardware with a unified setup. Typically, multiple components from different manufacturers are needed.”
Ideal candidates for this surgery are patients with TN who haven’t had success with medications and have symptoms in the cheek and jaw. Those who prefer a more minimally invasive procedure compared to open brain surgery, as well as older patients or those with medical comorbidities, are also good candidates for this treatment option.
“Pain relief is often immediate, with some numbness over the area of pain,” explained Dr. Staudt. “The NeuroOne multi-contact probe allows for better targeting and temperature control, to potentially reduce procedure times and improve patient comfort. We’re thankful to be able to offer this new treatment option to patients and look forward to helping them manage their symptoms more effectively.”
To learn more about this treatment, call 216-844-9000.
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More information about the OneRF® Trigeminal Nerve Ablation System can be found here: https://ir.nmtc1.com/press-release-details?newsId=1414fa1680d5b22c0db44c3d2012a7527bc57b1c87beb16b14f51a6ee294a446
Caution: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.
Disclaimer: This recounts two patient experiences and may not be representative of all patient outcomes.
About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of more than 20 hospitals (including 5 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, NEOMED, Oxford University, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, and National Taiwan University College of Medicine. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,400 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national and international ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report and UK Brand Finance. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.