Doctor examining a patient's face

Intractable Vertigo

Vertigo is a condition where the patient experiences a sensation of the world spinning, causing imbalance and nausea.

There are many causes of vertigo, most commonly viral infections, alcohol intoxication and other toxicities. In some rare cases, vertigo can be intractable and unexplained.

In select patients, this can be due to vascular compression of the vestibular nerve, irritating the nerve and causing vertigo.

With appropriate work-up, including high-resolution MRI imaging to rule-out other etiology and identify a culprit artery, surgery may be applicable. Endoscope-assisted microvascular decompression of the vestibular nerve can be performed.