My wife has atypical facial pain. We went to Barrows Neurological Center, in Phoenix, Arizona. Many doctors "reviewed" her records; they said "we have a plan to help you". They "passed her off" to a surgeon, who: (1) told us that her pain was in the V3 region, and was never in the V1 or V2 area's, (2) he said that she did NOT have trigeminal neuralgia, and (3) he was going to do a "diagnostic procedure" on her in order to determine that he was focusing on the right nerve. When she came out of surgery, she was in excruciating pain. When we had the post-op review with him, he said that "the outcome was not what we expected...she has decreased sensation in the V1 thru V3, more so in the V2 and V3...and, has suffered a neurotrophic cornea....and, she has trigeminal neuralgia...and, unfortunately, she has anesthesia dolorosa". The entire left side of her face is numb, and it is swollen/puffy. Is her situation hopeless, or is there something that can be done to aleviate/minimize the pain?
Thanks for your help!
V/R,
August