Rhizotomy Model

Percutaneous rhizotomy is a procedure carried out to treat trigeminal neuralgia, an exceptionally painful condition caused by inflamed nerves in the back of the skull. The operation aims to cut these nerves to allow the patient some relief. This is done by inserting a needle into the face, passing it between the bones of skull, in order to reach the nerve.

The instructions provided with the model itself are comprehensive so this only designed to be a brief overview.

The left hand set of manipulators are used to move the needle, whilst the one on the right changes the transparency of the skin, so that you can better see where you are on the skull.

The screen has three parts:

The needle's view (Top Left), the surgeon's view (Bottom) and the Manipulators (Top Right)