Repeat percutaneous rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia is not associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications

Patients undergoing percutaneous rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) may require several procedures to manage their pain. However, it is not fully understood whether repeat procedures influence postoperative complication rates. We retrospectively reviewed patients undergoing rhizotomy at our institution from 2011 to 2022. Patients were included only if they had no history of prior interventions including microvascular decompression (MVD) or radiosurgery. We collected baseline patient information, pain characteristics, and postoperative complications for each patient. Patients were dichotomized into those undergoing primary rhizotomy versus those undergoing a repeat rhizotomy. Potential drivers of postoperative complications were included in a multivariate logistic regression model. Of the 1904 cases reviewed, 965 met our inclusion criteria. 392 patients underwent primary rhizotomy, and 573 patients underwent repeat rhizotomies. The repeat rhizotomy group was significantly older, p