Explore Plastic Surgery - Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic surgery is one of the marvels of modern medicine, with a wide range of options for face and body improvements. And today’s media outlets make it easier than ever before to gather information on the latest plastic surgery procedures. But how does this information apply to you and your concerns?

Every person is unique and has his or her own desires. What procedure or combination of treatments is right for you? And what can you really expect? EXPLORE PLASTIC SURGERY with Dr. Barry Eppley, Indianapolis plastic surgeon, who can provide you with a wealth of practical and up-to-date insights into the world of plastic surgery through his regular blog posts. In his writings, Dr. Eppley covers diverse topics on facial and body contouring procedures. You will be sure to find useful information that will help broaden and enrich your plastic surgery education.

The treatment of migraine headache patients by Botox injections has been shown to be effective in specific patients who have identifiable triggers of the supraorbital and supratrochlear, zygomaticotemporal, greater occipital, and septal trigeminal nerves. The temporary relief from Botox has led to the concept that relieving pressure on the nerves by muscle resection (surgical decompression) can subsequently be effective and may provide a more long-term solution to the migraine problem.

 
Surgical decompression of migraines, pioneered by plastic surgeon Dr. Guyuron in Cleveland, has shown that a high percentage of carefully-chosen patients may benefit. (> 90%) On average, most migraine patients experienced improvement at one year follow-up, needing less medications for management. While some patients do experience a ‘cure’, this is not the majority. A recent publication in the July 2008 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery by Dr. Poggi of Wichita confirms these results in their own reported experience. One of the most interesting findings of their study was that two-thirds of the patients felt that surgery offered better relief than Botox injections.
Surgical decompression involves removing muscle that intertwines or lays against the nerve. In the frontal area, this can be done endoscopically (like an endoscopic brow lift) or directly through an upper eyelid incision. As of now, this is a surgeon’s choice and the evidence that one method is superior over the other remains to be conclusively proven. For the zygomaticotemporal, greater occipital and septal trigeminal nerves, a direct open approach is used.

 
For those patients whose migraine headaches are of sufficient frequency and are not well controlled by medication, surgical decompression of trigger points offers potential for improving their lives.

 
Dr. Barry Eppley
http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com
http://www.ologyspa.com
Clarian North Medical Center, Carmel, Indiana
Clarian West Medical Center, Avon, Indiana
Indianapolis