Posted by James C on April 04, 1999 at 05:03:51:
In Reply to: Gamma Knife treatment for Refractory Cluster Headaches posted by Nancy on March 31, 1999 at 13:23:09:
I too have been doing a lot of research on surgical treatments for clusters (I've been chronic for 8 months). I also ran into the cost barrier with gamma knife surgery. I'm in Canada and the government won't help me with the cost. As for facial numbness, it is far less likely with gamma knife than with a rhyzotomy. My big concern with it is that very little is known about the long-term possibility of tumor induction with gamma knife surgery. At this point I'm considering microvascular decompression as an alternative to rhyzotomy. I know that deciding how to surgically treat clusters is extremely frustrating since no one really knows which treatment is best for which patient. I hope you find the best solution for you.
To better days,
James c