Factors Related to the Delayed Cure of Hemifacial Spasm after Microvascular Decompression: An Analysis of 175 Consecutive Patients

J Neurol Surg B Skull Base DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740970Detailed studies assessing the factors related to delayed cure of hemifacial spasm (HFS) after microvascular decompression (MVD) are sparse. We aimed to evaluate the effect of 11 clinical factors on the time until the patient became spasm free after MVD. We enrolled 175 consecutive patients with HFS who underwent MVD between 2012 and 2018. The end point was defined as the time point at which the patient became spasm free based on the outpatient interview. Patients were divided into six groups depending on when they became spasm free after the operation, as follows: <7 days (n = 62), 7 days to 1 month (n = 28), 1 to 3 months (n = 38), 3 to 6 months (n = 25), 6 to 12 months (n = 17), and >12 months (n = 5). The median time to become spasm free after MVD was 30.0 days. Association of 11 factors (age, sex, laterality, number of offending arteries, vertebral artery compression, number of compression sites, compression at root detachment zone, preoperative Botox treatment, indentation of the brain stem on preoperative magnetic resonance image, transposition, and interposition) with spasm-free rate was assessed using the Cox's proportional hazards model. Spasm-free rate curve after MVD for the significant factor was obtained using the Kaplan–Meier method. In univariate and multivariate analyses, nontransposition was significantly related to delayed HFS cure after MVD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.60; 95% c...
Source: Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B: Skull Base - Category: Neurosurgery Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research