Why I Chose MVD Surgery for Hemifacial Spasm - Hemifacial Spasm Symptoms and Botox Treatment
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- This is some personal news from me. I have been suffering from hemifacial spasm for about 7 years. It causes the muscles in the right side of my face to contract. The source of the problem comes from an artery inside the skull that is compressing against the 7th cranial nerve. The artery irritates the nerve and the result is involuntary contractions of the facial muscles.
Over the years I've tried acupuncture with no relief from that. I had about 6 acupuncture treatments along with electro-acupuncture and it did nothing to stop the spasms.
After talking to a neurologist, hemifacial spasm was confirmed and Botox treatments were recommended. I did Botox at low doses for just over a year. These Botox treatments were at 3 month intervals. Botox did work to lessen the visible spasms but under the skin I could still feel the muscles twitching.
Today I am ready to seek out surgery for my hemifacial spasm condition. It was always my last option but MVD surgery is the only cure for hemifacial spasm. I'm excited and a little anxious but I'm looking forward to having relief and letting my face relax.
I've read a lot about cures for hemifacial spasm but MVD surgery is the only treatment that eliminates the cause of hemifacial spasm. I hope my story helps you decide if surgery is right for you.
During my recovery time from surgery my videos will continue to post on a regular schedule and of course I will continue to make new videos when I return!
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You're still handsome, even with the spasms :) Bless you dear, and thank you for sharing your story with us!
Thanks! I'm not almost 9 months post op and everything has been great since the MVD surgery! I don't have to worry about the embarrassment of my face spasms anymore!
I have hfs (6yrs now) and I’m scheduled for surgery in 2 months. I’ve been doing Botox for 3 yrs, and I’m excited to have a smile that doesn’t look like a sarcastic pirate. Appreciate the tips about being prepared for the fatigue and taste disruptions.
I’ve had HFS since 2017, managed with Botox until now , but wanted to let you know your story, and recovery has given me the courage to have the surgery - scheduled for next week. Wish me luck.
I have the exact same issue. Started with lower eyelid. 3 years later and it's that whole side of my face. Did the botox but it's just masking the problem. I can still feel and hear the muscles contracting. I got an mri which showed nothing abnormal. Seems like I'll need a second opinion. Hfs is ruining my life, I've become an introvert, I don't even like to talk to my wife, or my parents. I don't make eye contact with anyone.
There’s hope bro, the only cure for HFS is MVD surgery you can be spasm free for years or even the rest of your life I highly recommend to go to a very experienced surgeon that specializes in hemifacial spasms
Rodney Ramirez did u do the surgery? I have facial pain but I don’t think I have this as it’s not that severe
@Tim I kn hw u feel but u ve to try n ignore it I ve same issue on left side, n don't like it esp with going to work etc but I do my best, don't shut pple out rather explain to them what's happening n get on with living ur life.
Thanks for posting this. I finally have my MVD surgery scheduled for 6 weeks from now.
Excellent! I know the prospect of surgery is probably frightening but it’s really not that bad. Just think… in 6 weeks you could be spasm free! Everyone’s result and recovery experience will be different but success rates are very high for MVD surgery! You’ll wonder why you didn’t do this sooner! Good luck!
I had the surgery done twice, in 1983 & 1986 at Eisenhower Medical center at Ft. Gordon when I was in the army. Both surgeries did not give me any relief from the spasms and I was sent to Walter Reed for a 3rd try. The doctors there advised me not to have it done as there was too much scar tissue in my brain area, so I took their advice. Later on I was told by an eye doctor at Ft. Stewart about botox and I've been getting injections every 3 months in Savannah and it seems to help quite a bit.
please keep us updated on the surgery and healing process
Yes for sure! I'm currently 1.5 weeks post MVD surgery and still no spasms but I do have a few things I need to ask my doctor at my follow up appointment in a few days. For now I'm just keeping notes and will make a follow up video once I've gone through more of my recovery.
Congratulations on the surgery! Thank you for taking the time to document and explain this process. It is very informative.
Hope you are doing better and spasm free!
Yes! I am still spasm free after 1.5 years after my surgery. Results vary with everyone and I was fortunate to have a successful MVD surgery.
I have what you have same right side I’m going to have to see someone soon I’m scared let me wish you the best. Keep us tuned in.
"Hi, how are you? I hope you're doing well. Actually, my brother has hemifacial spasm, and day by day, it's getting worse. The spasm started from his right eye, and in our culture here in Punjab, Pakistan, some people believe it might be a bad omen. However, my brother chose to ignore these superstitions and thought it might get better on its own over time. Unfortunately, instead of improving, the spasms have been increasing. As a result, I'm taking him to see a neurologist tomorrow."
I hope it goes well!
The surgery went very well! I woke up with no more spasms and the nurses thought I was doing so well that I was able to be discharged the next day. I'm now home recovering and actually feel really good! Big scar on the back of my head right now!
Glad to see this video.. I’m
25 years old and I been having this spasms and with the time now I can’t control it and it went down to my lips. People tell me no to do surgery what do u think 😭
Really interesting video. Other than the physical discomfort and the "collateral danger" of not seeing properly when changing lanes etc, is this condition dangerous? Obviously the blood vessel isn't important if you're getting it removed, but does constant contact with the nerve have any negative effects?
Hemifacial spasm is not a life threatening condition. And they did not remove any blood vessels. Blood vessels aren't removed in this procedure. Maybe I should've clarified that. No one is really sure how hemifacial spasm starts but the cure is for the surgeon to go into the skull under the brain and move the vessel(s) off the nerve. Then tiny Teflon pads are used to buffer the blood vessels from the facial nerve. I think they said I have 8 pads around the nerve. I came home yesterday to recover. When I woke from surgery I had no more spasms! I have heard that for some people that it's possible that the longer the nerve has been in contact the the blood vessels that the nerve can receive some damage but it will heal. Not everyone wakes up spasm free. Fortunately I did. For some it takes a bit longer until their spasms disappear. But today I feel really good with a stiff neck and large scar on the back of my head. Surgery is not something to take lightly but I'm really glad I did it!
@@TheRenderQ Thanks. Glad it went well!
@@TheRenderQ Thank you for sharing! It's ironic that I was Googling facial tics/facial twitching which led me to hemifacial spasms as a good fit for what I have been experiencing for the past 14 months, and in the results the thumbnail (of you) looked closest to what goes on with me. When I watched the video it showed that I was a subscriber and I thought "wow, what a coincidence!" I hope your prognosis is still the same or better and that you are spasm free!
Hey how much did it cost?
Thanks for this video. I started having spasms on July 7, 2020. Very scary and embarrassing.
Hello, hows ur spasm? I had this couple if weeks ago and im scared i might have henifacial spasm too
Did something happen on that date?
Thank you so much .
❤️💕
Hi, I have the same problem. My right eye lid started twitching after the 2nd dose of Covid vaccine. First it started very light that you can’t see but it’s getting worse. After year and half now it spread to half of cheek. If surgery works then I’ll consider to do it. How are you now? And how’s your twitch? I hope it’s gone and your doing better. Thank you so much .
Hi. Have the same problem here. How was your surgery result?
I really appreciated the video. I am in Seattle as well and wondering what was name of the doctor? Is he still at UW Mount lake?
Thanks so much
When did you get started & when did you get surgery ? I have having eyes twitching for one year. The doc give me medicine right now.
Question, what was the first symptom that you noticed? I only ask because my right forehead and eye start have started spasming daily for 3 weeks now, maybe more... And nothing helps
Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome! I hope by telling my HFS story it will help others get their diagnosis and possibly look into surgery. Thanks for watching!
Hey thank you so much for this video! Doing research right now for my fiancé who I think might be dealing with this same issue. How did you surgery go? Did it help with your spasm?
Hi glad I came across ur channel I ve the same condition on my left side, been on botox injections but not really helping so I have decided to have surgery too so seeing the surgeon in 2wks time... Hw was your recovery period? Good luck with ur recovery.
Thanks for watching my video! My recovery went extremely well! I'm now 10 months post MVD surgery and everything is great! I was feeling back to myself at about 2 months but there were just some minor things like temporary facial paralysis that lasted another 2-3 months. Good luck on your surgery! The anticipation of it was worse than the actual thing!
Hi Pattie did you have surgery? how did it go?
Hi glad to hear u OK, not yet am still waiting have seen the surgeon last Yr October ve to do some tests long process in UK, but still on botox therapy, some dys am OK some dys the spasms r worse but keeping faith n believing God for a supernatural healing...
Found you Google HFS. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm a TMJ Sufferer. I'm wondering if the tmj is causing the HFS. I hope you're still doing well.
I’m still spasm free now that I’m almost 3 years post surgery. I’m not really sure TMJ causes HFS. The HFS is caused by a vein or artery in direct contact with the facial nerve. The only cure is through surgery to move the artery off the nerve.
Hi Harlan, how long did the surgery take? Is it a simple surgery? My cheek spasms started around a month ago, but eyelid twitching many years ago.
Do you know what may have triggered this condition for you? My doctor feels high levels of stress and anxiety triggered my left eye and face spasms. I suppose it's possible but wondering what may have been the trigger in your case. Also, since this is not a life-threatening medical condition did you have any trouble with your insurance saying this type of surgery is cosmetic?
I don’t know what triggered my HFS. Actually I don’t think anyone really knows how it starts! My general practitioner also mentioned something about stress but I was pretty sure it wasn’t caused by stress. You’ll need to find a neurologist or neurosurgeon familiar with HFS. I’ve heard stories of specialists who have not heard of HFS and don’t know what it is. So multiple opinions might be necessary. I didn’t have any problems with my insurance to treat this condition. The issue of this being cosmetic surgery never came up. Regarding the cause… I’m curious whether it has anything to do with the side you sleep on? I sleep on my right side pretty much all the time and that’s the side I had my HFS on. That’s just my guess. I sleep with 2 pillows and maybe over the years the artery at the base of the skull stretches out and eventually makes contact with the facial nerve. I’d be curious to know if your HFS is on the side you sleep on the most?
I am suffering from exact same thing, but my nuerologists says the risk involved in the surgery is very high. So he's putting off the surgery and asking me to explore alternate methods of treatment. I just feel very down.
I tried a couple of things before deciding on surgery but none of them worked… namely acupuncture and Botox. The only cure is MVD surgery because an artery is physically in contact with the facial nerve. I would get another opinion on your condition. I’ve heard not every neurologist is knowledgeable about hemifacial spasm because it is rare. You can also get answers from this Facebook group: Hemifacial Spasm (HFS) Worldwide Support Group. That’s the group I used before I got my surgery. There’s a lot of information there from people who have this condition. Hope this helps!
@@TheRenderQ thank you so much
I'm just wondering, did you ever have periods where you had almost none visible twitching? Or where they the same nonstop for you?
The reason I'm asking is because I have the same thing for about 15 years and my neuro found the likely cause on the MRI scan. However, I'm still a little bit hesitant to do the surgery because I can have 6 months of pure hell followed by 6 months where my twitching is almost unnoticable and I'm scared that when I visit the doctor that I don't have the twitching and that they will not do the surgery. I think my question is if it's normal that it comes and goes? Thank you for sharing your story!
Hi there. I’m suffering the Hemifacial Spasm right now. It really bothers me from sleeping. I’m considering the MVD surgery now. Mind to share about the 7 years suffering experience about how it affected in daily your life ? And how did the MRI scanning tell about the diagnosis of it ?
Hi there I wanted to ask your perspective as I do have thr same condition as you wanted to ask is ot better to get botox as trial first ?
If I were to go through this all again I would not do Botox. It didn’t help and only weakened my face. Plus it has to be reapplied every few months. It only hides that condition but not very well. But for me I had to try non-surgical methods before doing surgery. The MVD surgery is the only cure for HFS.
@@TheRenderQ thank you for the advise. Will source for ways before going to last option surgery. Appreciated and am glad to realize I am not alone 🙏. Thanks for sharing your journey.
I just had my surgery about a month ago. After surgery i am experiencing facial paralysis with my smile and closing my eye on the left side. I feel its getting better, but its still not 100% mobile. Did you experience any facial paralysis?
Yes! I had the facial paralysis after surgery. It didn’t happen until about 5 days afterwards but my doctor said it would eventually go away. So I had to trust him. It worried me a bit but it took about 3-4 months before I had the strength back in my face. My smile is normal now and my eye is 99.9% good. I don’t say 100% because I can tell my right eye on my HFS side is slightly weaker than my other eye. Be patient about the paralysis but of course mention any concerns you have to your doctor. Hope this helps!
@@TheRenderQ Thank you for sharing your experience.
I'm not sure if you'll get this since your video is 2 yrs old but I was wondering if you had to travel quite a distance for surgery. I've been getting botox for 7+ yrs and it doesn't always help. I've developed a permanent droop in my face and can't smile. I'm thinking about surgery but would have to go several states away from home for the procedure so it's going to be extremely difficult. If there's a way in finding a neurosurgeon that does these operations closer to home it would be helpful.
Can you tell the details please
This video was made before my surgery but I did an update after surgery with all the details including my recovery experience. You can watch my other video here: ua-cam.com/video/huJeZcaCX24/v-deo.html
Thank you sir
How much did they surgery cost?
If I remember correctly I think the surgery was around $75,000 but insurance cut that way down. I've heard others say their surgery cost over $100,000.
@@TheRenderQ thanks for the reply. I just got my MRI I don't have this. But thanks for the info
All Android Hacks how did that process go like did you go in to a hospital, tell them what was happening and then get an MRI done? and do you know what caused your twitching
Where is your hospital ?
My surgery was in Seattle at the University of Washington Medical Center. See your other comment for the link to my post surgery video.
Thank you sir
Good luck
Thanks! I came home yesterday and I'm spasm free now! I really don't feel any pain other than a stiff neck plus a little trouble balancing when walking. I feel really good considering I just had a craniotomy. Big scar on the back of my head but it doesn't bother me. I'll be home for a few weeks recovering and getting my Netflix and movie list out.
That’s awesome
@@TheRenderQ sir
where did you do the surgery please give me the address of the doctor because i have same problem thank you
Can you do another Xbox gift card video
I'm sure I'll be doing more Xbox Gift Card videos in the future. But my gift card videos are all tutorials. I'm not giving away codes or anything. Just helping make people smarter on their Xbox.
I have hfs (6yrs now) and I’m scheduled for surgery in 2 months. I’ve been doing Botox for 3 yrs, and I’m excited to have a smile that doesn’t look like a sarcastic pirate. Appreciate the tips about being prepared for the fatigue and taste disruptions.