Migraine

Some from the HM website sent this my way.I thought I would share it. I'm not sure if this is the same type of procedure Terri talked about or not. I am very interested in any info people might have about this. I f I posted in the wrong spot sorry.

http://www.mydaughtersheadache.com./

We don't have any information here on this site about this surgery. Funny you bring this up, The American Headache Society just released this press release:

American Headache Society Urges Caution in Using Any Surgical Intervention in Migraine Treatmen

Very interesting. Thanks for the info, the timing was perfect. Too bad it is not showing long term results. For so many any chance of relife would be worth the risk if it was long term.

Hi,

That is exactly one of the problems with the media taking hold of these surgical procedures for Migraine and headache disorders. When we are in pain and desperate we'll do just about anything to relieve the pain.

I understand about people wanting a "cure" and having no more Migraine attacks. But going through invasive surgical procedures that may do more harm than good is not a good thing.

That's interesting that you found this. When I was at MHNI the plastic surgeon they had on staff there talked to me about doing this. He told me that he had been doing it for a long time at his practice in California. His projected outcomes were not really encouraging considering it was like at a minimum $10,000 procedure that insurance would not cover.

I can't remember the exact outcomes he was stating but it seemed like it was less than half of the patients were headache free after the procedure. I'm glad to see the American Headache Society has produced a cautionary statement about this. It's very easy to get led into this type of surgery when you are listening to a doctor promoting it.

Wow, I'm really surprised by the comments made to Cris1971's post. I'm honestly trying not to be really mad about it and not take it personally, considering I've had this done myself and it was the best decision medically I've ever made. You're gonna disregard something that a real person dealing with this has been through just because some group, club, band of dr's, whatever you wanna call it, says so? If that were the case I would be dead right now. I would have killed myself three years ago when I was trying to hold down a high-stress management position at one of the largest companies in the world while raising two kids. If I would have stuck with the drs at the Headache Care Center (that advertises in all the headache mags and gets great publicity) I wouldn't be here right now. Instead I plowed through message boards and youtube, any website I could find dealing with headaches. Not just migraine boards or sites. Because the truth is that your headaches change. And most people dealing with this crap have more than one type, and again, they change based on what going on with you at the time. A diagnosis in '05 could be different in '10 if you're honest with your dr. Yes, nerve decompression is fairly new and you should be cautious about someone cutting into you. Of course. But seriously, how is it any worse than being a guinea pig for 20 or more meds? Because if you have any type of headache diagnosis, odds are you have tried a huge range of meds. And you have NO IDEA what they will do to you in the long run. I honestly don't believe that having a flap of skin cut open and some scar tissue removed is worse than taking scores of meds. If you've dealt with serious pain for years to the point that your quality of life is nil, do you not owe to yourself to exhaust every avenue?

Insurance did pay for my surgery. Dr. Blake is smart enough to know exactly what to say to the insurance companies and I was covered for mine. Granted, I left my job, and lost my insurance and have been sitting for a while in limbo while trying to get on social security just so I would have insurance again. And now that it's done, I am moving forward again. I will get as many surgeries as is necessary, just like that girl, even if it only works for a few years. Because anything is better than what I have gone through and what my family has gone through. I'll still have to take my Maxalt occasionally, but occasionally is better than every day. And I won't be a zombie that can't talk (like I was at one point) or feel the need to sleep all day. Two years post surgery and I don't regret it. Not at all.

Hello,

I can understand what you're saying, but you have to take into account who this group of doctors is. They're not just "some group, club, bond of dr's." The American Headache Society is the primary professional society in the U.S. for doctors engaged in the study, continuing education about, and treatment of headache disorders. The statement they issued was very carefully researched and considered before it was issued.

We all know that Migraine patterns can and do change over time. And plenty of us here have dealt with "serious pain for years to the point that your quality of life is nil." Each of us has to make our own decisions, and each of us is free to comment as we see fit. You're welcome to disagree with the comments made so far, but just as we will respect your point of view, we ask that you respect the point of view of everyone else.

Regarding the insurance, you said "Dr. Blake is smart enough to know exactly what to say..." I have no idea what she said or even exactly what your diagnosis is. What I have seen other doctors do is to submit insurance claims with a diagnosis they knew would be covered even though it wasn't actually their patient's diagnosis. Not saying Dr. Blake did that, but other doctors have, and that's insurance fraud.

We all make our choices and live with them. I'm glad you're happy with yours, truly. After years, literally, of chronic Migraine that kept me in bed five or six days a week, my Migraine specialist and I found a preventive regimen of supplements and medications that gave me back my life at a high quality of life, and I prefer that to surgery. That's my choice.