The surgical treatment of facial neuralgia.

  • Hutchinson, J. (Jonathan), 1859-1933.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The surgical treatment of facial neuralgia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    in both second and third divisions with great in- tensity. It rendered the patient half-imbecile, and necessitated removal of the Gasserian ganglion. Such a case might be quoted by both the advocates and the opponents of extracranial operation. The first operation was slight, without risk of life ; it obtained comfort for the patient for three years, and did not prejudice the success of the major opera- tion. On the other hand, early resort to the latter would have saved the cruel disappointment of the recurrent pain, and the risk of the patient be- coming a morphia-habitue. It is most desirable to consider the following question without bias :— To what extent are peripheral operations justi- fiable in severe trigeminal neuralgia ? This question can hardly be regarded as yet decided, and three diverse opinions are held :— (i) Neurectomy or avulsion of the affected nerve with Thiersch's forceps should always be given a trial, since relief for a period will certainly follow. The peripheral operations may be repeated, a little more of the nerve being removed at each time. The whole series of rational operations by peripheral section should be exhausted before the final resort to intracranial operations. ^ (2) Since anything more than temporary relief from peripheral neurectomy is quite exceptional, ^ J. B. Deaver's Surgical Anatomy, vol. i, p. 564. ^ Lauwers and van Geruchten.