Migraine Surgery

Migraines are debilitating headaches that can diminish your ability to function. At Oceana Aesthetics in Stuart, Florida, experienced plastic surgeon Brian Blumenauer, MD, performs migraine surgery for patients whose headaches stem from compressed nerves, blood vessels, and scar tissue. Call Oceana Aesthetics today or schedule an appointment online to determine if migraine surgery is right for you.

What is migraine surgery?

Migraine surgery is an innovative therapeutic therapy that can help reduce the intensity and frequency of migraines. These debilitating headaches are often the result of compressed and irritated nerves, blood vessels, and trigger points in the head. Migraine surgery aims to release compressed areas to minimize pain, discomfort, and other migraine symptoms.

Who should consider migraine surgery?

Dr. Blumenauer may recommend surgery if you’ve tried nonsurgical interventions for migraines without lasting success. Migraine surgery may be the right solution if you:

• Have pain from compressed or irritated nerves
• Have been diagnosed with occipital neuralgia
• Experience more than 15 headaches per month
• Don’t respond well to migraine medications

Candidates for migraine surgery should also have realistic expectations about their results. Surgery is not a cure for migraines, though it may reduce the number of headache days you have each month.

What can I expect from migraine surgery?

The technique Dr. Blumenauer takes to perform migraine surgery depends on the location of your compressed or irritated nerves:

Frontal migraine

If you experience frontal migraines above the eyebrows, releasing the muscle tissue around the suborbital and supratrochlear nerves can help minimize discomfort. Dr. Blumenauer can perform this procedure through a tiny incision.

Occipital headaches

Occipital headaches occur when the semispinalis capitis muscle in the back of your neck compresses the occipital nerve. Dr. Blumenauer can release tension from this muscle through small incisions to alleviate migraine pain.

What happens after migraine surgery?

Dr. Blumenauer provides detailed instructions on caring for your incision sites after migraine surgery. Swelling, bruising, and tenderness from the procedure should subside within two weeks. 

Some individuals experience swelling after one month to six weeks which can trigger a headache. However, about 70-95% of patients report experiencing a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their migraines after the initial healing period.

Call Oceana Aesthetics today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about migraine surgery.