Microvascular decompression in patients with hemifacial spasm

PURPOSE: To study blood pressure alterations after microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery in patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed to review HFS patients who received MVD surgery between January 2014 and December 2016. Vessels that were considered to be responsible for HFS were determined by reviewing the brain magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, and surgical video. Blood pressure measurements were performed 1 day before (preoperative) and 7 days after (postoperative) the MVD surgery. Pre‐ and postoperative blood pressure measurements were compared. RESULTS: A total of 374 patients were included in the study, with 118 (31.6%) male patients, age 53.8 ± 9.9 years old, and 141 (37.7%) patients with hypertension. Systolic blood pressure had statistically significant decrease in patients with (134.5 ± 8.2–132.6 ± 9.1 mmHg, p = .01) or without (125.6 ± 9.1–123.8 ± 10.0 mmHg, p = .01) hypertension. Diastolic blood pressure only had statistically significant decrease in patients with hypertension (83.0 ± 5.8–82.0 ± 6.5 mmHg, p = .04). Analyses in all the study patients and in the subgroup of patients with hypertension showed that more statistically significant blood pressure reductions were observed when left‐side vessel or vertebrobasilar artery was involved. CONCLUSION: In patients with HFS, MVD not only decreased blood pressure in patients with hypertension but also affected blood pressure in patients without hypertension. Blood pressure reductions were more prominent when left‐side vessel or vertebrobasilar artery was involved.