Every plastic surgery procedure has numerous issues that every patient who is undergoing a procedure should know. These explanations are always on a consent form that you should read in detail before surgery. This consent form, while many perceive as strictly a legal protection for the doctor, is actually more intended to improve the understanding of the various migraine surgery procedures. The following is what Dr. Eppley discusses with his patients for this procedure. This list includes many, but not all,of the different outcomes from surgery. It should generate both a better understanding of the procedure and should answer any remaining questions that one would have.
ALTERNATIVES
The alternatives to migraine surgery include oral and injectable medications, local anesthetic and Botox injections, acupuncture and other non-medical stress/headache therapies.
GOALS
The goal of migraine surgery is to reduce the frequency and severity of one’s migraine headaches. Some few patients may get a complete cure but this would not be common.
LIMITATIONS
The limitations of nerve decompression migraine surgery is the degree to which one’s headache may be reduced or eliminated.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
Expected recipient site outcomes include the following: temporary swelling and bruising of the eyes (supraorbital and zygomaticotemporal nerve decompression), temporary neck stiffness/soreness (occipital nerve decompression), small permanent scars in the scalp, and up to 3 months to see the final result.
RISKS
Significant complications from migraine surgery have not occurred. More likely risks include infection, scar widening, increased headaches due to nerve irritation (stretching) and scar tissue formation, failure of any headache improvement at all, and return of presurgical migraine symptoms even if initial improvement of them is seen. Any of these risks may require revisional surgery for improvement.
ADDITIONAL SURGERY
Should additional surgery be required for further migraine relief or any complications, this will generate additional costs.