Two Different Migraine Surgery Techniques Found Equally Effective

According to a randomized trial published in the July issue of the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, two migraine surgery techniques targeting a specific “trigger site” in the brain are both highly effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. Two migraine surgery techniques were developed by a surgeon after noticing some patients had reduced headache activity after undergoing cosmetic forehead lift procedures. The surgery targets trigger sites in the nerve branches that produce headaches, identified by preoperative evaluation. The study included 20 patients with the temporal type of migraine headaches — one of the two most common trigger sites. All had severe and frequent migraine attacks despite standard medications. The patients underwent surgery on both sides of the head, targeting the nerve implicated in temporal migraine headaches — the zygomaticotemporal branch of the trigeminal nerve. To assess the relative effectiveness of the two techniques, outcomes were compared between sides one year after surgery. In nearly 90 percent of operated sites, surgery produced at least a one-half reduction in migraine frequency, days with migraine, headache severity and duration — both procedures had identical results and no apparent complications. To read more about this study, click here.