Ms. Lam Thi Xuyen (who lives in Hanoi) was finally free of the disease that made her hesitant to talk and limited her mobility due to impaired vision after 23 years struggling with hemifacial spasms. This is also an unexpected "record" case that doctors of Vinmec Central Park have just received and successfully operated on.
Since experiencing facial spasms on her right side, Ms. Xuyen has lost track of the number of times she has visited the doctor. The last method she performed was to periodically inject Botox every 3 months, but it only worked to temporarily prevent muscle spasms in the face, so it was not a complete treatment. When the drug was no longer effective, the facial spasms recurred. Therefore, since the age of 28, she has never stopped being haunted by the spasms on one side of her face, one eye drooping deeply... Wherever she goes, everyone asks, so she limits her mobility and is very afraid to communicate. Many times she did not want to live.
“We have operated on many cases of hemifacial spasms for 10–15 years. But Ms. Xuyen is a rare case with such a long time of living with the disease, reducing the quality of life like that; it is very regrettable.” - Dr. Truong Van Tri, Head of the Functional Neurosurgery Unit at Vinmec Central Park Hospital, shared his thoughts when he first examined her at the end of April 2023.
Neurologists at Vinmec Central Park explained that the patient had hemifacial spasms because blood vessels were putting pressure on the VII cranial nerve. Surgical release of the facial nerve was used to treat the condition. Doctors will physically separate the blood vessels that are pressing on the nerve. This will free it up so that the VII cranial nerve is no longer stimulated, which stops the muscle spasms in the face. In this way, the disease can be fully cured.
Both the surgeon and the patient were very worried as they waited for the results of the surgery because the patient had lived with this disease for a long time. But just two days after discharging from the hospital, or seven days after the surgery, Ms. Xuyen was returned to say that the surgery had given her a beautiful face that she had not expected.
"There were two days after I got out of the hospital that I woke up and stared at myself in the mirror for a long time. I saw that my eyes were wide open. I could smile easily, with a bright smile and a round mouth. It was great, I can't explain how it made me feel like I was young again," Ms. Xuyen texted the doctor.
According to Dr. Tri, the VII nerve is most frequently compressed by blood vessels, while tumors are less frequently that cause of hemifacial spasm. This is a rare disease, and if you consult the incorrect specialist, you may be misdiagnosed or mistakenly diagnosed with TICS—a manifestation associated with a psychomotor disorder that is fundamentally distinct from hemifacial spasm. This is the reason why a significant number of hemifacial spasm cases are not adequately treated, resulting in a prolonged period of poor quality of life.
Microvascular decompression surgery is a more effective and comprehensive treatment option for this condition than botox injections or medication. Microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve is a form of microsurgery that necessitates the surgeon's sophistication and expertise. This microsurgical technique is generally secure and has a success rate of approximately 90%. Infection (approximately 1%), tinnitus, hearing loss (1-2%), and facial paralysis are among the potential complications. In order to enhance the success rate of surgery, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital has implemented an intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring system (IONM). This system mitigates complications that may impact facial paralysis and hearing.
The Neurosurgery Department of Vinmec Central Park Hospital has successfully treated numerous cases of hemifacial spasm, with a success rate that is comparable to that of institutions worldwide, thanks to a team of physicians who have received extensive training in neurology and neurosurgery and are supported by the IONM system.
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