Does Migraine Surgery Work?

Dr. Seth Haplea Health Professional Neurologist Seth Haplea, M.D., graduated from Duke University School of Medicine... Send Message Subscribe: Dr. Seth Haplea

Monday, November 27, 2006
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Over the years there have been reports of people who have migraine headaches and also have a small hole across their heart called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), and that surgical closure of the PFO (for reasons other than treating migraine headache) resulted in fewer migraine headaches. Is this reall...

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Jay
Thursday, January 04, 2007 at 10:57 AM
Dr.Haplea - you say in your article that the complication rate was about 7% (some of which were very harmful). I can't find any results from this study on the web, so I wondered how you found 7% and how serious these complications were? Thank you

surgery to close PFO due to migraines
Pam
Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 02:59 PM

I am 58 y.o. and I just found out I have a PFO. I have had migraines since I was 12, but in the past 2 years they have become worse and I have them almost everyday and some are so bad that I have to go to the ER. I have tried everything from Topamax, to Nueurontin, beta-blocker, etc, I even did the Botox injections, which worked the first time but not he second. I'm so desparte that I'm thinking about having the surgery to close the PFO I'm trying to get all the information I can on this and it seems like everything is "old" information, I can't find anything dated after 2006. The cardiologist that I went to said that this is a safe procedure with very slight risks, he explained that some neurologists don't agree with the surgery, my neurologist is one of those that disagrees, I would appreciate any new information that anyone can give me, please post it.

Thank you,

Pam