The Brain and Spine Institute is made up of experts in the field of neuroscience in order to bring patients the best healthcare in East Tennessee for a full range of neurological diseases and disorders.
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We provide a comprehensive continuum of cancer services, including prevention, outreach, diagnostic, treatment and support services delivered by our highly skilled staff with compassion and care.
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The Center for Women & Children's Health is a hub for supporting women's and children's individual healthcare needs. The center provides support, research and unmatched patient-centered care.
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Emergency and Trauma Services is the only Level I Trauma Center in the area and serves as the tertiary referral center for medical care in East Tennessee, serving Knox County and 21 surrounding counties.
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The Heart Lung Vascular Institute brings together expertise in clinical care, teaching and research. Patients receive exceptional healthcare combined with patient-centered care.
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Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is a rare but painful disorder that affects about one in 15,000 people. Trigeminal neuralgia patients suffer episodes of stabbing, electric shock-like pain in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead and jaw. The pain originates from the trigeminal (fifth cranial) nerve responsible for providing sensation to the face.
Because pain is often experienced along the jaw, trigeminal neuralgia is frequently mistaken as a dental problem. Only after receiving dental care and finding that the pain persists, it is realized that the problem is not dental related. The most common cause of trigeminal neuralgia is thought to be compression of the nerve root by a blodd vessel. other causes incldue pressure of a tumor on the nerve or multiple sclerosis, which damages the nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia usually develops after the age of 50 and is more common in females.
UT Medical Center is home to CyberKnife, a revolutionary technology that enables treatment of tumors throughout the body at greater convenience and comfort to the patient than other radiosurgery systems such as Gamma Knife. CyberKnife can be particularly effective when treating trigeminal neuralgia, and many sufferers have reported immediate relief after completing treatment. CyberKnife delivers precisely targeted radiation to the trigeminal nerve root in one convenient treatment. As a result of treatment, the formation of a lesion in the nerve interrupts transmission of pain signals to the brain.
CyberKnife, a non-invasive, image guided, high-energy radiation treatment, often is used for tumors and is capable of treatment throughout the entire body. CyberKnife delivers precise beams of radiation from many angles outside the body without requiring the use of a metal head frame. The accuracy is so precise, in fact, that radiation can be matched to the shape of small complex tumors—even those close to critical organs. This technology is able to treat conditions such as lung cancer, even tumors that are considered inoperable or untreatable with surgery or other options.
CyberKnife treatment requires no anesthesia or recovery time. Patients are typically able to resume normal activities immediately.
Benefits
- Treatment delivered in one outpatient visit
- No anesthesia
- No recovery time
- Trigeminal neuralgia patients frequently experience pain relief very soon after treatment (sometimes immediately)
- Extreme precision of the CyberKnife (sub-millimeter accuracy) ensures protection of the brain stem.
For additional information on your lung cancer treatment or trigeminal neuralgia, please contact the CyberKnife Center at 865.305.6889.
Click here to read a patient story on how CyberKnife treated trigeminal neuralgia.