"I came to Dr. Sekula after suffering for 9 years from trigeminal neuralgia. Despite the fact that I had had gamma knife surgery in 2019 and was on massive doses of medications (four different ones by the time I spoke with Dr. Sekula), the pain was becoming unbearable. My situation was complicated by the fact that I "possibly" have MS, although the TN has been my only symptom. Most neurosurgeons are not enthusiastic about doing microvascular decompression surgery on MS patients, since nerve compression is not likely the cause of the pain.
When Dr. Sekula and I first spoke, he listened to my history carefully, asked questions, and very confidently gave his opinion that I was a good candidate for MVD surgery. This meeting happened shortly before Christmas and it was a gift beyond measure--hope that there might be a solution to my debilitating pain. A few months later, I went ahead and set a date for surgery.
Throughout my meetings with Dr. Sekula and my many communications with his wonderful assistant, Caroline, I was always treated with respect and kindness. The entire team was very efficient and professional. In addition, the confidence that they projected gave me confidence and was very reassuring going into surgery. Dr. Sekula is a highly talented surgeon, and I cannot say enough good things about him. I felt very safe in his hands and very hopeful--something I had not felt in a long time, despite speaking to countless neurosurgeons over the years. Following the surgery, I had virtually no side effects despite many other surgeons telling me there was a good chance that I'd have some degree of numbness. Dr. Sekula said "I don't think that will be a problem," and it wasn't! The surgery itself went off without a hitch and I had just a one-night stay in the hospital.
Dr. Sekula is a talented, yet self-effacing person who is easy to talk to and who cares about his patients. I thank the good Lord for him, as anyone who suffers from TN will understand."