At first it felt like a toothache, and Austin resident Sue Barnes did what she thought was appropriate.  She went to her dentist, who found nothing.  She asked him to take more x-rays, and he accommodated her, with the same results.

Two nights later, the sudden pain returned, this time with the meanness of a Texas tornado. 

“I dropped to my knees and cried,” she said.  “It came out of the blue and was like no pain I’d ever felt. I was terrified.”

That’s how her 18-month journey with Trigeminal Neuralgia began. 

Trigeminal Neuralgia, also known as tic douloureux, is a chronic condition known for causing searing pain that strikes sporadically and without warning. It can go on for weeks, months, or years. The pain has been described as “shocking,” “burning,” and completely debilitating. 

Sue learned a lot about the condition, met many people with the same kinds of pain, and tried several drugs before having her surgery. The most important thing she learned?  “I think people with this condition should not wait so long before investigating surgery,” she said.  “It only gets worse.”

“I couldn’t work for months and months,” she said.  “My world just shrank – got smaller and smaller.  I couldn’t go anywhere, I was afraid to drive, I wasn’t seeing anybody.”

That’s when she decided to explore surgical relief, and found Dr. Richard Stovall, a neurosurgeon working with NeuroTexas Institute who performed a microvascular decompression (MVD) which is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. 

She woke up with no pain, went home after only two nights in the hospital, and has been pain free ever since.

“I think Dr. Stovall walks on water,” she declared.  “The relief was immediate.”

Patient Stories