by EBSCO Medical Review Board

Surgery may be used if there are other causes for headaches, such as tumors or sinus problems. For example, it may needed in people with sinus headache. This is when a person has problems or growths in the nose passages that block them from draining.

Surgery has a limited role in people with primary headache disorders. For example, it may be used on specific nerves linked to sensation of the face in people with trigeminal neuralgia or cluster headaches. But, the nerve may grow back.

Surgeries for sinus headache are:

Septoplasty

Septoplasty fixes a deviated septum. This is the wall that sets apart the left and right sides of the nose. The septum will be taken out or put it in the proper place.

Deviated Septum
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Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)

FESS opens the passages of the nose to make them drain better and let the sinuses go back to normal. A thin tube is put in the nose to look at the openings into the sinuses and to remove anything blocking them. This may be done with the help of a CT scan.

Surgery for Cluster Headache

There are many surgeries that could be done in people who are not helped by other methods. Nerves may be stimulated or harmed to do this.

Surgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Microvascular decompression can remove an artery or tumor that is pressing on the nerve. Other surgeries may be used to cut the trigeminal nerve.

Surgery for Migraine Headache

In some people, migraines start when a nerve in the head is stimulated. This surgery finds the nerve and turns it off. This may make headaches go away or result in fewer headaches in people who are not helped by other methods.

References

Cluster headache. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/cluster-headache. Accessed March 9, 2022.

Fact sheet: deviated septum. American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/deviated-septum. Accessed March 9, 2022.

Headache information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Headache-Information-Page. Accessed March 9, 2022.

Migraine in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/migraine-in-adults. Accessed March 9, 2022.

Tension-type headache. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/tension-type-headache. Accessed March 9, 2022.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD
  • Review Date: 11/2021
  • Update Date: 03/09/2021