Mitigating migraine pain

When conventional therapies for migraine don’t work, new research shows surgical options can have a lasting effect.

Dr. Jeffrey Janis, a plastic surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center, helped develop a technique that uses Botox – typically known for cosmetic uses – to help identify potential peripheral nerve trigger points that may be contributing to migraine pain. He also was involved in developing surgical techniques based on anatomical studies to decompress these nerves in order to provide more long-lasting relief.

In a recently published study, Dr. Janis corroborated the effectiveness of using Botox and surgery to treat migraine headaches. He confirmed the use of Botox led to average improvement of 85.5 percent over original symptoms such as frequency, severity, duration, while surgery produced an astounding 96.6 percent average improvement over original symptoms. A separate five-year review verified that the surgical treatments for migraines had lasting effects.

“This type of surgery is not for everyone, but for those who have not found relief, these procedures are proving effective,” Dr. Janis notes.

For information on cosmetic surgery procedures and clinical services at UT Southwestern, visit www.utsouthwestern.org/plasticsurgery or call 214-645-8300.

Media Contact: Russell Rian