Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery Also Shown to Improve Migraine Pain

A cosmetic eyelid surgery that's typically used to tighten up the tissues around the eye may also help provide migraine relief, according to a recent study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Researchers at the University Hospital, New Orleans, found that making incisions in the upper eyelid also deactivated many of the so-called "trigger" nerves that may exacerbate a migraine by also lifting the lid.

This new approach is an alternative to another surgery that's sometimes used to treat migraines by approaching the nerves under the skin but starting at the scalp, according to Health Day. 

For the study, researchers examined 35 patients who had gone through the procedure, with the average age of the patients around 46.

Findings revealed that the average number of headache days reported by patients declined from 18.5 a month on average to fewer than four a month one year following the procedure.

Both procedures are known as trigger-site deactivation surgeries.

"Ninety percent of our patients had over 50 percent improvement in their migraines," said Dr. Oren Tessler, an assistant professor of clinical surgery at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine. "After a year's time, 51 percent had no migraines."

"As a bonus they got an upper eyelid surgery," Tessler added, noting that when the surgery is used in appropriate patients, migraine improvement is common for many.

However, some neurologists and other health officials are still skeptical of this approach.

The surgery is sometimes approved by insurance and takes about 3 hours at a cost of $3,000, that does not include any additional charges for the facility and anesthesia.

As estimates show that more than 37 million people suffer from migraines, the findings could hold new hope for future patients dealing with this health issue.