How are you taking part in this consultation?

You will not be able to change how you comment later.

You must be signed in to answer questions

    The content on this page is not current guidance and is only for the purposes of the consultation process.

    Stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia

    Closed for comments This consultation ended on at   Request commenting lead permission

    Interventional procedures consultation document

    Typical trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, severe facial pain, usually affecting one side of the face and lasting for a few seconds to about 2 minutes. Some people have a more continuous aching, throbbing, or burning sensation. It can be caused by pressure on the trigeminal nerve, which carries pain signals from the face to the brain. In this procedure, radiation is focused at the trigeminal nerve to damage it and stop it carrying pain signals. The aim is to relieve pain.

    NICE is looking at stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia. This is a review of NICE's interventional procedures guidance on stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia using the gamma knife.

    NICE's interventional procedures advisory committee met to consider the evidence and the opinions of professional experts, who are consultants with knowledge of the procedure.

    This document contains the draft guidance for consultation. Your views are welcome, particularly:

    • comments on the draft recommendations

    • information about factual inaccuracies

    • additional relevant evidence, with references if possible.

    NICE is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, eliminating unlawful discrimination and fostering good relations between people with particular protected characteristics and others.

    This is not NICE's final guidance on this procedure. The draft guidance may change after this consultation.

    After consultation ends, the committee will:

    • meet again to consider the consultation comments, review the evidence and make appropriate changes to the draft guidance

    • prepare a second draft, which will go through a resolution process before the final guidance is agreed.

    Please note that we reserve the right to summarise and edit comments received during consultation or not to publish them at all if, in the reasonable opinion of NICE, there are a lot of comments or if publishing the comments would be unlawful or otherwise inappropriate.

    Closing date for comments: 18 October 2021

    Target date for publication of guidance: January 2022