Medical therapy is a method that reduces facial spasm by using anticonvulsants to relax the cell membranes and using muscle relaxants at the same time. However, the treatment effect is low and side effects occur so it is not possible to completely treat the disease.

It is a method that paralyzes the facial muscles temporarily to reduce facial spasm by injecting a neurotoxin protein called Botulinum to the facial muscles.
However, the effect only lasts from 2-4 months and the injection must repeatedly be used. If it is used long term, immunity against the neurotoxin develops and the effect decreases.

The surgery is done under general anesthesia and the facial nerve root that is being pressured by the blood vessels is located through the 2-3cm craniotomy done in the back region of the mastoid behind the ear. The blood vessels are separated and a surgical equipment called Teflon felt is inserted between the facial nerve and the blood vessels to release the pressure.




Facial spasm microvascular decompression is the most certain and permanent method. 90% of the patients experience full recovery while the relapse rate is 1-10%, which mostly occur less than 2 years after surgery. Important complications that can occur after surgery include facial palsy and hearing loss (3-5%). Dizziness can also occur as an accompaniment to hearing loss. Also, even though it is very rare, very serious complications such as cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction can occur (1-2%).
Intraoperative monitoring equipments (Brain auditory evoked potential test and electromyogram) are used in our main hospital in order to prevent the damage of the auditory nerves and the facial nerves. These tests minimize the chance of hearing loss and facial palsy and it has given good results because of the fact that the surgery outcome can be determined immediately.