"I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia in 2008. It started with quick electric-type shocks on certain words, but progressed quickly to a full out flare-up where I couldn't talk or eat for about ten days. That happened about four times in the eight years I dealt with trigeminal neuralgia.
In fall of 2015, I had gotten up to a pretty high dose of Trileptal to the point where it affected my memory and balance. Yet, I was pain-free, which was enough for me, until I had a flare up that came out of nowhere! No eating and almost no talking for several days.
At that point, I was so weary that for the first time, I started considering surgery. I had only known a couple of people who had microvascular decompression surgery who did not have great outcomes, so I was scared! But, I was more scared of continuing on without the surgery. I researched the five top surgeons in the US, ultimately choosing Dr. Sekula. My reasons included his usage of newer, less disruptive techniques (smaller incision, no “birdcage,” glue instead of stitches or staples, fills the skull with compound, no titanium mesh and screws), and his online videos which showed me his calm and kind demeanor. After my microvascular decompression, my recovery and outcome was so much better than friends who used other surgeons. My experience with Dr. Sekula and his team could not have been better! That was 2/18/2016, and I am still 100% pain-free and med-free! I have my brain back!"