Surgical treatment of pediatric hemifacial spasm patients

• Published in: Acta neurochirurgica Vol. 153; no. 5; pp. 1031 - 1035
• Main Authors: Feng, Baohui, Zheng, Xuesheng, Zhang, Wenchuan, Yang, Min, Tang, Yinda, Zhong, Jun, Hua, Xuming, Ying, Tingting, Li, Shiting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.05.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Clinical Article; Female; Hemifacial Spasm - physiopathology; Hemifacial Spasm - surgery; Humans; Interventional Radiology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microsurgery - adverse effects; Microsurgery - methods; Microsurgery - psychology; Minimally Invasive Surgery; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosurgery; Neurosurgical Procedures - adverse effects; Neurosurgical Procedures - methods; Neurosurgical Procedures - psychology; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - methods; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Postoperative Complications - physiopathology; Postoperative Complications - psychology; Retrospective Studies; Surgical Orthopedics; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Vascular Surgical Procedures - methods; Vascular Surgical Procedures - psychology; Hemifacial spasm; Microvascular decompression; Social adaptation; Pediatric
• ISSN: 0001-6268; 0942-0940
• DOI: 10.1007/s00701-011-0956-y

Purpose To study the clinical features and outcomes of pediatric primary hemifacial spasm patients who underwent microvascular decompression procedures. Methods In this retrospective study, five pediatric (<18 years old) primary hemifacial spasm patients underwent microvascular decompression. After surgery, resolution of spasms and surgical complications were observed. Their social adaptability was evaluated using a social adaptation scale, which was designed specially for Chinese middle-school students. Results Four typical hemifacial spasm patients had immediate excellent or good relief. However, the microvascular decompression procedure did not help the atypical patient much (50% relief of spasm). The score of social adaptation of the pediatric hemifacial spasm patients was 111.6 ± 8.2. Compared with the ordinary healthy Chinese middle-school students, whose score is 170.8 ± 25.4, the patients experienced great difficulty in social adaptation ( P  < 0.01). After surgery, the scores of two patients increased to a normal level; however, the other three patients remained unchanged. Conclusions Microvascular decompression is effective and safe to typical primary hemifacial spasm patients younger than 18 years old. Hemifacial spasm is harmful to the children’s social adaptation. However, only some of the patients recovered to the normal social adaptation level even when the spasms were cured.