A plastic surgery procedure, similar to a forehead lift, shows promise as a potential treatment for migraine headaches, according to a study published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Seventy-five patients with moderate to severe migraines were randomly selected to receive either actual surgery or a sham surgical intervention targeting their most predominant migraine trigger site: frontal, temporal or occipital. The researchers first injected the patients with Botox; if the drug succeeded in eliminating the pain from the trigger sites, the patients would undergo surgery to have the trigger areas removed. Forty-nine patients had actual surgery and 26 patients had sham surgery to control for the placebo effect.

A year after surgery, about 84% of patients in the intervention group reported at least a 50% reduction in migraine pain; 57% reported complete elimination of their migraines. Only 1 patient in the control group reported a complete loss of migraine pain, and about 58% said their pain was reduced by at least half following sham surgery.

"This study confirms that surgical deactivation of peripheral migraine headache trigger sites is an effective alternative treatment for patients who suffer from frequent moderate to severe migraine headaches that are difficult to manage with standard protocols," the researchers conclude. Lead study author Bahman Guyuron, MD, professor and chairman of the plastic surgery department at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, notes that the minimally invasive procedure can be done on an outpatient basis in 3 ½ hours or less.

—Irene Tsikitas