Trigeminal neuralgia surgery most commonly involves microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve which is an operative procedure to protect the nerve from irritation by a surrounding blood vessel. Dr. David W Newel was born in Boston, MA, graduated from Boston University and attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University. Other trigeminal surgery options involve neurolysis, which is partial damage to the nerve by injection of alcohol, balloon compression, or heating/burning with radiofrequency by passing a probe through the cheek into the trigeminal nerve.