Assessment of Outcome of Medical and Surgical Treatment of Migraine Headache: A Comparative Study

Medical and Surgical Treatment of Migraine Headache

Abstract

Background: Migraines are a common and debilitating headache illness. According to current studies, migraine headaches affect roughly 12% of the general population, with 18% of women and 6% of men suffering from the condition. Someone in one out of every four homes suffers from migraine headaches. Subjects and Methods: 54 patients were enrolled in this investigation. The follow-up period lasted anywhere from 10 to 14 months, with a mean of 12 months. 27 of the 54 individuals who had migraine headaches were treated medically, whereas the other 27 were treated surgically. Results: There was no significant difference in gender (medical treatment group, 77.8% female; surgical treatment group, 81.5 percent female; P > 0.05), average age (medical treatment group, 45.4 8.02; surgical treatment group, 43.3 6.4; P > 0.26), alcohol and smoking status (medical treatment group, 11.1 percent; surgical treatment group, 7.4 percent; P > 0.76), and mean duration of migraine headaches (medical treatment group, 19.4 5.21 years; surgical treatment group, 7.4 percent. There was also no significant difference in the percentage of migraine headaches with aura between the two groups (medical treatment group, 29.6%; surgical treatment group, 33.3 percent; P > 0.67). Conclusion: The surgical deactivation of migraine headache trigger sites is a successful therapy option for alleviating migraine headache symptoms. Patients who fail to respond to pharmacological treatment and receive relief from headache pain after receiving botulinum toxin injections at specific anatomical trigger points may be candidates for surgery to release entrapped peripheral nerves.