How I do it: Implant-free transposition technique for microvascular decompression in hemifacial spasm
Melanie Kristt, Raymond F Sekula · 2026
Read How I do it: Implant-free transposition technique for microvascular decompression in hemifacial spasm by Melanie Kristt, Raymond F Sekula (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13427788.txt.
Description
Melanie Kristt and Raymond F. Sekula explain, in a 2026 technique paper, how they free a twitching face nerve without leaving any implant behind. Hemifacial spasm, one-sided facial twitching, usually stems from an artery pressing on the facial nerve. Surgery that moves the artery away cures about nine in ten patients. Older methods park a sponge between vessel and nerve, which stays in the head for life.
Their method lifts the vessel off the nerve and holds it aside with TachoSil, a patch material the body absorbs over time. A linked video walks through each step of the operation. Patient selection starts with high-resolution MRI scans that confirm the artery's contact. Surgeons weighing decompression options get a worked example of an implant-free route and its claimed advantages.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Melanie Kristt, Raymond F Sekula |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 14666 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |