Jess: I am sorry you still have pain. I actually asked the surgeon about his thoughts on severing the nerve, and his answer to me was almost the same as what you posted: that severing the nerve can result in numbness PLUS pain. He stressed that under no circumstances will he ever do anything to leave the patient worse off than before the MVD.

I'm about ready to grab those pliers any second now..there's gotta be 5 or 6 rotten teeth up in that jaw, dontcha think?

Thank you for your reply. I am being rather cautious due to the atypical nature of my situation. Plus, the surgeon is being very conservative as to possible outcomes.

I *hope* to be able to post a success story. But in my gut I'm not expecting a 100% turnaround.....there were too many oral surgeries that have mucked around with the nerve endings at the front of my face to get a complete resolution. But I believe this is the best option for me.

CAT