Can my trigeminal neuralgia pain be caused by my 3 yr old facelift?

Thank you for your question. There are many reasons for TMJ, and a thorough exam with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and an oral surgeon will be able to determine better the origin of your TMJ issues. With a long list of possibilities, it is important to evaluate all of them. I hope this helps.

I've not heard of trigeminal neuralgia being a possible result from a facelift operation. Perhaps, if your doctor numbed the trigeminal nerve as part of his/her preparation for surgery, I suppose it's possible that the facial branch of that nerve could have been pierced and damaged, but if that was the case, it should be symptomatic sooner than 3 years out. So chances are that the two are unrelated.

It is unlikely that the face produced your trigeminal neuralgia unless a branch of the trigeminal was injured. These branches are not encountered in a routine facelift surgery. Donald R. Nunn MD Atlanta Plastic Surgeon.