Man cured of rare facial pain with advanced radiosurgery in Gurgaon
Gurgaon: For this 41-year-old native of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, life became a daily battle against invisible torment. For over a year, he endured sudden, electric shock-like pain on the right side of his face — pain so intense and unpredictable that even brushing his teeth or speaking could trigger a storm of agony.
He was suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) — a condition so cruel, it is often called the "suicide disease." Trigeminal Neuralgia affects only about 4 to 13 people per 100,000 annually, making it an uncommon neurological disorder. It strikes without warning, causing recurrent facial pain that can last for seconds or minutes, and repeat dozens of times a day.
In most cases, the right side of the face is affected.
The condition is more prevalent in women and people over 50, though it can occur at any age, even in children, though extremely rarely.
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To treat the patient, the medical team at Medanta chose CyberKnife radiosurgery — a non-invasive, high-precision treatment — that uses focused radiation to target the affected nerve without harming surrounding brain tissue.
Within 48 hours of the surgery, the patient reported a reduction in pain.
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A month has passed since, and he lives on with minimal medication.
"It is a rare disease and patients suffering from it face severe headaches, inability to swallow even water, and spasms. The pain is intermittent. It can happen to anyone. After CyberKnife radiosurgery, which helps 60-90% patients, they may not feel any pain for 5 to 8 years. Earlier, just 50% of the patients used to get temporary relief after surgery," said Dr Tejinder Kataria, chairperson, radiation oncology, cancer care, Medanta.
Explaining the disease, she said, "The trigeminal nerve, also known as the fifth cranial nerve, is one of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves and plays a vital role in facial sensation and motor functions like chewing. In cases of trigeminal neuralgia, a blood vessel—often an artery—compresses the nerve root near the brainstem, leading to localized, electric shock-like pain. This neurovascular conflict disrupts normal nerve signalling," she said.
"Trigeminal neuralgia is primarily diagnosed through a patient's description of pain and its triggers. MRI imaging helps confirm if a blood vessel is compressing the trigeminal nerve. It's a diagnosis that blends clinical intuition with precision imaging," she added.
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