CHENNAI: A 40-year-old patient at SIMS Hospital had successful Microvascular Decompression (MVD) surgery. The patient had hemifacial spasm, also known as winking disease, a rare neurological condition that makes the face twitch without the person’s intention.

After years of misdiagnosis, advanced diagnostics at SIMS Institute of Neurosciences identified the root cause — a blood vessel compressing the facial nerve. The medical team at SIMS used Advanced Intraoperative Neuro-Monitoring (IONM) to ensure precise nerve decompression, offering a permanent cure for the condition.

Dr Vishwaraj Ratha, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at SIMS Hospital, highlighted that hemifacial spasm is frequently misunderstood, leading many patients to suffer unnecessarily due to misdiagnosis or lack of awareness.