ArticleBrain & spine2026
Improved quality of life after microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm.
Article in Brain & spine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of microvascular decompression (MVD) in improving the quality of life (QoL) of patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS), focusing on both short- and long-term outcomes. Research question: When will patients with HFS benefit from MVD regarding QoL? Material and methods: A longitudinal, prospective cohort study was conducted, involving 135 patients who underwent MVD at a tertiary referral center between January 2019 and March 2023. Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire administered at three intervals: before surgery, three months after surgery, and twelve months after surgery. Results: Most patients reported complete resolution (63.4%) or at least 90% reduction (13.9%) of spasms after twelve months. Significant improvements were observed in the SF-36 scores, particularly in the domains of Mental Health and Social Functioning, from baseline to twelve months after surgery. Additionally, improvements in Mental Component Summary scores were statistically significant, suggesting substantial importance of patient-reported mental and emotional well-being. Permanent postoperative complications (hearing reduction/loss, mild hoarseness) were seen in 2.9%. Discussion and conclusion: The findings confirm that MVD provides significant and sustained improvements in HR-QoL in patients with HFS. The surgery not only alleviates physical symptoms but also contributes to substantial psychosocial recovery. These outcomes support MVD as a preferred treatment for HFS when a neurovascular conflict is suspected, advocating for its broader application in clinical practice. Continued follow-up and research are recommended to further document the procedure's long-term effectiveness and safety.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.