Migraine Surgery

A chronic migraine is a condition which is both prevalent and disabling, and which has a great impact on society as a whole. The accurate diagnosis, workup, and treatment of a migraine requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving primary care physicians, neurologists, pain management specialists, mental health specialists, alternative practitioners, and surgeons. Across the spectrum of migraine patients, the most challenging are those deemed refractory to conventional therapy. These patients may be surgical candidates, and are best served in a multidisciplinary, patient-centred model of migraine care. Migraine Surgery should serve as a reference to any practitioner dealing with the migraine patient. The fundamentals of migraine diagnosis and workup are reviewed, in addition to conventional therapies. We review the medical optimisation of the migraine patient, and establish what it means to have an intractable migraine. We discuss the role of the allied health professions in the management of chronic migraines, with chapters on psychological considerations, complementary medical management, and exercise. Furthermore, the standard interventional treatment of migraines is presented, in addition to surgical therapies, with an emphasis on patient selection, surgical technique, and complication avoidance.