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Summary We have evaluated the long-term results of percutaneous retrogasserian glycerol rhizotomy (PRGR) in 60 patients with classical trigeminal neuralgia. Complete initial pain relief was achieved in 93% of the patients. Numbness was initially reported by 3/4 of the patients and at follow-up by 1/3, while long-lasting dysaesthesias were an important side effect in 38% of previously untreated patients. The half-life of the method was 47 months in our material, and this figure compares favourably with other previously reported series. The method carries a significant risk of long-lasting and troublesome sensory disturbances. Another disadvantage of the method, reported in the present long-term study, was the high incidence of recurrent neuralgia.