Woman With 'Suicide Disease' Finds Relief Through World-First Procedure

Natisha “Tish” Long experienced seven years of severe, debilitating facial pain, a condition so intense it earned the nickname “suicide disease” moniker. The pain, described as shocking and throbbing, would strike randomly, lasting anywhere from seconds to minutes and making everyday activities like smiling, brushing teeth, or washing her face unbearable. This neurological disorder, trigeminal neuralgia, significantly impacted Long’s ability to work and function as a mother of four.

Initially, Long experienced tingling in her upper jaw, which a dentist could not diagnose. The pain later spread to her lower jaw and intensified. Physicians suspected facial neuropathy, and Long was prescribed gabapentin and carbamazepine, medications commonly used for seizures that can help calm nerve pain. While these drugs offered some initial relief, they required constant dosage increases and came with side effects like brain fog and weight gain. Eventually, the pain escalated beyond the effectiveness of her medication.

Trigeminal neuralgia typically occurs when a blood vessel compresses the trigeminal nerve near the brainstem, damaging its protective covering and causing erratic pain signals. Neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Staudt of University Hospitals explained that for approximately 30% of patients, medication does not provide lasting relief, a category Long fell into.

Seeking more permanent solutions, Long first underwent microvascular decompression, a standard surgical procedure to relieve pressure on the trigeminal nerve. This surgery, which involves lifting the problematic blood vessel off the nerve, is considered curative in 70-80% of cases and allowed Long to stop taking medication for a time. However, the pain eventually returned, more intensely than before, leading her to explore other options.

Dr. Staudt then proposed a radiofrequency ablation, a procedure that uses heat to destroy specific nerve fibers transmitting pain signals. This minimally invasive technique, taking about 20 to 30 minutes, involves inserting a needle near the trigeminal ganglion at the base of the skull to burn the nerve, resulting in numbness and a cessation of pain signals. While effective, the relief from ablation can be temporary, with pain potentially returning after two to five years, though repeat procedures are possible.

In December, Long became the first patient globally to receive treatment using the new OneRF system at University Hospitals. This technology allows for a more streamlined ablation procedure, with a single probe capable of mapping multiple nerve locations, eliminating the need for repeated needle repositioning. Following the treatment, Long experienced immediate relief. "The same day I just came home and it was just like a whole bunch of numbness… Like you had got your teeth pulled,” she reported. Crucially, the painful shocks were gone. Her recovery has allowed her to regain her signature smile and feel like herself again, prompting comments from colleagues at work who noticed her changed demeanor.