Surgery hope for migraine cure

Published on Thursday 30 July 2009 22:13

A PROCEDURE used in cosmetic surgery could cure migraines permanently, surgeons have claimed.

The operation, similar to that used when carrying out a forehead lift, has been found to "permanently fix" the debilitating effects of a migraine, which include crippling headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and nausea.

So far, more than 400 of the ground-breaking procedures have taken place and the surgeon in the United States who pioneered the technique says more than half the patients reported "complete elimination" of migraine symptoms.

For nearly a decade, researchers have been testing the concept that migraines are caused when a person's "trigeminal nerve branches", which are located on the side of the skull, are irritated.

When the muscles around these branches are incapacitated, the headaches stop, which is why some patients have found relief from the "freezing" effect of Botox treatments.

According to the new study, removal of these muscles or "triggers", offers an easily attainable and permanent fix.

And experts say not only does the procedure have a "colossal impact" on a patient's quality of life, it can also "eliminate the signs of ageing" at the same time.

Currently one in eight Britons – about 7.5 million people – suffer from migraines and 100,000 people are absent from work or school each day as a result.

Some 190,000 people at any one time in the UK are experiencing a migraine attack.

The condition was recently named as the top reason given by people when phoning in sick to their work and severe migraine attacks are classified by the World Health Organisation as among the most disabling illnesses.

Study author Bahman Guyuron, from the department of plastic surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Centre, said: "In this study, we've shown surgical treatment of migraine headaches is safe, effective, and that this reasonably short operation can have a colossal impact on the patients' quality of life – all while eliminating signs of ageing for some patients, too."

The estimated cost of treating migraine in the UK is about 150 million per annum and, due to lost working hours, it is estimated migraine costs the UK around 2.25 billion a year.

Dr Guyuron added: "Though one might not think to look to plastic surgeons to treat migraines, we are commonly involved in peripheral nerve surgery and treat nerve-related pain, so this is a meaningful addition to the field of reconstructive plastic surgery."

Susan Haydon, support services manager at The Migraine Trust, said: "Surgical procedures such as the removal of muscles or 'triggers' remain experimental in nature.

"We still need multiple randomised controlled trials to be conducted to give the necessary data on the long-term safety and efficacy of both Botox and the surgical procedure before either can be recommended as a treatment for migraine."