Migraines are more than a frustrating headache one gets from time to time. The severity of migraines can be debilitating. Even if only for a short while, having to exit stage right and bow out of day-to-day life can take a toll on emotional wellness. In recent years, the medical community has evolved to bring new migraine treatments to the table. Migraine surgery is one of them. As with many new innovations, migraine surgery is not without some misconceptions. Here, we discuss the facts about this procedure so you can make the most educated and confident decision regarding consulting a migraine specialist.
Migraine Surgery is Proven
Dozens of studies were conducted by Dr. Bahman Guyuron, the pioneer of migraine surgery, to prove its efficacy. Dr. Lowenstein and Dr. Guyuron became friendly when on the board of directors for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Having suffered debilitating headaches since early childhood, Dr. Lowenstein was particularly interested in Dr. Guyuron’s work with migraine sufferers. The objective of migraine surgery is to achieve some degree of improvement in the frequency and intensity of headaches. Case studies of over 2,700 patients indicate that this procedure helps more than 90% of patients feel significantly better.
Migraine Surgery is Safe
All surgery has an inherent risk of complications. However, the migraine surgery technique has been refined over years of practice to minimize risks and shorten recovery time. The vast majority of patients who undergo this procedure experience minor side effects like temporary numbness. Rarely are complications more severe.
Migraines Can Improve Significantly After One Procedure
There is a misconception about migraine surgery that pain will come back at some point. To be clear, some patients do experience subsequent migraines after their initial procedure. In most cases, the headaches that occur after the initial procedure are less severe and can be managed with standard pain medication.
In other cases, it isn’t that the surgery didn’t work, but that some people have multiple trigger sites. Migraines may originate in areas like the sinuses, the neck, behind the eyes, the temples, or the forehead. Sometimes, ongoing headaches after migraine surgery mean that a second (or third) trigger site needs to be addressed. In most cases, the screening procedures performed by Dr. Lowenstein can identify patients with more than one trigger point so that a comprehensive plan can be made to address all migraine pain even before surgery is performed.
We work together with patients suffering from migraine headaches to find lasting relief. To schedule your visit with Dr. Lowenstein, call 805.969.9004.
