Debra Wood, RN
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Surgery may be an option in certain cases of
, such as when you have abnormalities in the nasal passages or
(growths) that block nasal drainage. It is rarely an option for other types of headache.
If all other measures fail to control
, some doctors may suggest cutting or destroying certain nerves in the face. However, the nerve may grow back.
The surgical options for sinus headache include:
is done to correct a
, the wall separating the left and right nasal cavities. The doctor will remove or reposition portions of the septum that are out of place. The surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure with either local or
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FESS opens the natural nasal passages to improve drainage and allow the sinus tissue to return to normal.
During this procedure, the doctor inserts a thin, fiberoptic tube into the nose to look at the openings into the sinuses and then removes any tissue blocking the passages. This can often be done as an outpatient procedure. In some cases, the doctor may perform this surgery with the help of
There are several surgical procedures which could be done if you fail to respond to all medical treatment. These procedures may include stimulating certain nerves or damaging certain nerves.
In some people,
are triggered when a nerve in the head is stimulated. In this surgery, the doctor locates the nerve trigger point and deactivates it. The surgery may reduce the number of migraines or completely eliminate them in moderate to severe migraine suffers who do not respond to conventional treatment.
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. Accessed November 7, 2012.
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Current concepts in the surgical management of frontal sinus disease.
Clin North Am.
NINDS headache information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
website. Available at:
. Updated September 2012. Accessed November 7, 2012.
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Functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
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Plast Reconstr Surg.