Post-Operative Trigeminal Pain After Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia

October 10, 2025 updated by: Gary M. Heir, DMD, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the long-term effects of microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The main question it aims to answer is:

Does undergoing post-operative dental treatment or other orofacial stimulation increase the likelihood of pain relapse after MVD for TN?

Participants who have previously undergone MVD for TN as part of their standard medical care will be asked to complete surveys over phone call. These surveys will focus on their pain experiences, timing, anxiety attacks and nature of any pain relapses, and whether they have received dental treatments or other orofacial interventions during follow-up.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Potential participants will be identified through a review of the post-operative patient database at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Eligible subjects are individuals who have undergone initial microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery for trigeminal neuralgia. Medical records will be accessed through the EPIC system, with IRB approval in place

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • MVD post-operative patients with type I Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Atypical (Type II) Facial Pain at presentation, revision surgery.
  • Patients who are unable or unwilling to provide informed consent will be excluded from the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain control following microvascular decompression (MVD)
Time Frame: Up to 60 months post-surgery
Pain control will be assessed using the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) Pain Scale to evaluate changes in pain severity and relief after MVD.
Up to 60 months post-surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Gary Heir, DMD, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

December 12, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 10, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 10, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

October 14, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

October 14, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 10, 2025

Last Verified

October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Pro2025001535

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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