[Selective percutaneous thermorhizotomy in the surgical treatment of facial pain: personal considerations in light of 180 patients treated].

The purpose of this paper is to report the experience of the authors regarding the treatment of the primitive and secondary facial pains by Percutaneous Selective Thermorhizotomy (P.S.T.), 180 patients having been treated in the period of two years. The immediate postoperative control has obtained 156 good results (86,6%), 10 medium results (5,5%) and 14 (7,7%) unsuccessful. The failure of the P.S.T. in the treatment of the post-zosterian neuralgias, in the atypical and in the vascular pains is stated. The P.S.T. appears resolutive in the "tic doloreux" and secondary painful syndromes. A far follow up was performed (4 months-2 years) on 94 patients and a good result was kept at 64,2% among all of them. The shortage of the postoperative not expected collateral effect is also stated. The causes of unsuccessful and poor results (mistaking in the choice of the patient or tecnical mistaking) are discussed. It is finally suggested a careful personal value of the patient candidated to operation, in order to reduce the poor results and therefore improve the successful ones.