History of Migraine Surgery: From Botox ® for Migraines to Migraine Surgery
Migraine surgery developed from the pioneering work of Dr. Bahman Guyuron, in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Guyuron observed that patients who had injections of Botox for cosmetic purposes and patients who underwent brow lift surgery incidentally noted a significant reduction of their migraine headaches. In Botox treated patients the headaches returned when the Botox wore off. In the surgically treated patients the positive effect was permanent. Many patients achieved complete elimination of their migraine headaches following this type of cosmetic surgery.
Dr. Guyuron and his colleagues have demonstrated that 70-80% of migraine patients undergoing Botox injections achieve a 50% improvement in frequency, severity and duration of migraines. Botox has been shown to be an excellent predictor of migraine surgery success. A positive response to Botox predicts a 90% success rate for migraine surgery, with 35% of surgical patients achieving complete elimination of the migraines (migraine cure) and the remaining achieving a significant permanent reduction in their migraine frequency, severity and duration.
Dr. Moore is the first plastic surgeon - migraine surgeon specialist to bring this beneficial surgical treatment for migraine sufferers to the Kansas City area. Dr. Moore is one of only a handful of surgeons in the United States who perform Botox injections as a diagnostic tool to determine migraine trigger points that are amenable to surgery.