Oh well, here goes, no excuses left.

Hello harleygirl, I am 65 and had the MVD operation at Bristol Southmeads last October. I live in the London area but opted for Mr Nik Patel to do the surgery since he seems to have more experience than many others and was highly recommended by members of the Facebook HFS group.

Although I am still having spasms and twitches around my left eye three months later, I am optimistic that they will go eventually. Apparently it can take up to a year. Re. your worry about feeling sick, I had never had a general anaesthetic before and was also a bit worried but all was fine and I had absolutely no ill effects post-op. My hearing felt a bit muffled on the left side for a few days but that was all. I hope that helps. All best, Sally

Hi Harleygirl, I remember you from 4-5 years ago on this forum. Sadly there has been no further improvement since my surgery in Jan 2012. I would echo what Sally had said about Mr Nik Patel in Bristol. In fact I have also asked to be referred to him for MVD #2. However, I am unable to undergo surgery due to a new job. I would have no hesitation about going through a second MVD under different circumstances. If I had known about the success rate of Mr Patel prior to MVD #1, I would have made a better choice and may be spasm free for a few years now.

Wishing you all the very best.

Hi Harleygirl,My name is Bob and I am from Hamilton,New Jersey in The United States.I had 2 MVD's done in 2002 ,spaced 3 1/2 months apart. The first operation was a complete failure ;the symptoms,  indeed ,worsened and I took the advice of  a neurosurgeon from Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia ,Pennsylvania and ventured out to UPMC in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania where I consulted with Dr. Amin Kassam (who is now located in Milwaukee,Wisconsin). We decided to proceed with the MVD and and it was a resounding success .The secret is to locate a neurosurgeon who is skilled at what he  does, and is not afraid to take on a "redo". Many neurosurgeons are not willing to get involved with a "redo" because of all that is involved in the procedure ,but this is Dr. Kassam' s specialty. I am in the process of contacting him now because of a chin dimple that appeared out of nowhere about 9 months ago . Every now and then the nerve at the center of the dimple  goes into a state of excitation and I have no control over it.I have seen 3 neurosurgeons and 1 dermatologist and no one has ever  seen anything like it.I had an MRI done but no one to one correlation  has been made.One of the three neurosurgeons is leaning toward Botox therapy ,but Botox did not work with me 14 years ago and this is precisely why I am seeking Dr. Kassam's  input and advice.With  respect to your adverse reaction to anesthesia,my wife had severe reactions after each and every surgical procedure until recently when she had to have 2 back operations .She alerted the operating doctor to her past experiences and he told her it was not the anesthesia but the anesthesiologist  and he employed only the best .BINGO,no post operative sickness Hope this helps.