Virtual reality-based evaluation of neurovascular conflict for the surgical planning of microvascular decompression in trigeminal neuralgia patients

Objective Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a lightning bolt of violent, electrifying, and stinging pain, often secondary to the neurovascular conflict (NVC). The vessels involved in NVC are mostly arteries and rarely veins. Evaluation of NVC in the deep infratentorial region is inseparably connected with cranial imaging. We retrospectively analyzed the potential influence of three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) reconstructions compared to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on the evaluation of NVC for the surgical planning of microvascular decompression in patients with TN. Methods Medical files were retrospectively analyzed regarding patient- and disease-related data. Preoperative MRI scans were retrospectively visualized via VR software to detect the characteristics of NVC. A questionnaire of experienced neurosurgeons evaluated the influence of VR visualization technique on identification of anatomical structures involved in NVC and on surgical strategy. Results Twenty-four patients were included and 480 answer sheets were evaluated. Compared to conventional MRI, image presentation using 3D-VR modality significantly influenced the identification of the affected trigeminal nerve (p = 0.004), the vascular structure involved in the NVC (p = 0.0002), and the affected side of the trigeminal nerve (p = 0.005). Conclusions In patients with TN caused by NVC, the reconstruction of conventional preoperative MRI scans and the spatial and anatomical presentation in 3D-VR models offers the possibility of increased understanding of the anatomy and even more the underlying pathology, and thus influences operation planning and strategy.