Candidacy For The Reed Procedure®

The Reed Procedure® has been highly successful in treating almost all kinds of chronic migraines and headaches, including:

• Migraine Headaches of all types
• Chronic Migraine
• Chronic Daily Migraine
• Hemiplegic Migraine
• Abdominal Migraine
• Migraine with or without Aura
• Treatment-Resistant Migraine
• Refractory Migraine
• Intractable Migraine
• Any other migraine variation
• Headache after head or neck injury
• Cluster Headache
• Pseudotumor Cerebri (Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus; Elevated Intracranial Pressure)
• Arnold-Chiari Syndrome
• Occipital Neuralgia
• Post-herpetic Neuralgia
• Any other Face and Head Neuralgia
• Brain Aneurysm

While it’s essential to discuss the specifics of your medical condition with Dr. Reed, in general, yes, implanted stimulators have shown significant success in patients with:

• Diabetes
• Any type of shunt, such as “VP Shunt” or spinal fluid shunt
• History of repeated Lumbar Punctures (LPs)
• Aneurysms
• Pseudotumor Cerebri (Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus)
• Seizures
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Nerve Damage
• Previous nerve surgeries
• Any form of arthritis, including Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Existing implanted stimulators, like spinal cord stimulators
• Heart Conditions, including pacemakers

Having undergone unsuccessful migraine surgeries in the past does not automatically disqualify you from being eligible for the Reed Procedure®. The primary eligibility criteria for the procedure focus on your current condition and treatment history:

1. Chronic Migraine Frequency: You need to have at least 10 headache or migraine days per month.

2. Refractory to Medical Management: You must have tried at least six months of medical treatments (including prescription headache medications) without significant success.

If your previous surgeries were aimed at addressing migraines or related conditions, it’s essential to assess:

• Whether those surgeries targeted different mechanisms than the Reed Procedure® (which uses neurostimulation).
• Your current migraine patterns and severity.
• Any lingering effects from the previous surgeries that could affect the procedure’s efficacy or safety.

The Reed Procedure® specifically uses combined occipital and supraorbital neurostimulation to address chronic, severe headaches, making it distinct from most surgical migraine treatments. It is often considered for patients who remain debilitated despite other interventions.

Yes, the Reed Procedure® can address both migraine pain and associated symptoms, including auras, for many patients. The procedure works by using neurostimulation to target key nerves involved in migraine pathophysiology—the occipital and supraorbital nerves. This stimulation affects not only pain pathways but also deeper brain centers involved in headache genesis and modulation.

How It Helps:

1. Migraine Pain: The procedure is highly effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of chronic migraine pain. In clinical studies, patients with severe migraines often reported a significant or complete reduction in headache severity when both occipital and supraorbital nerve stimulation were used together.

2. Associated Symptoms: By modulating nerve activity and influencing deeper brain centers, the procedure can also alleviate other migraine symptoms, such as:

   • Aura: While the aura originates from cortical spreading depression in the brain, the neurostimulation may help by interrupting the pathways that amplify migraine symptoms.
   • Photophobia and Phonophobia: Sensitivity to light and sound can diminish as overall headache control improves.
   • Nausea and Neurological Symptoms: Many patients report relief from nausea, visual disturbances, and even neurological deficits (e.g., hemiparesis) related to their migraines.

Limitations:

While the Reed Procedure® is highly effective for many patients, it may not completely eliminate all symptoms in every individual. The response varies based on factors such as the nature of the migraines, their triggers, and the patient’s overall neurological health.

The Reed Procedure® does not have a strict age restriction; rather, candidacy is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The most important considerations are the patient’s overall health, headache history, and ability to benefit from the procedure.

Key Factors Regarding Age:

1. Adults and Young Adults:

   • The procedure is commonly performed on adult patients and has been successfully used for younger adults with chronic, debilitating migraines that have not responded to other treatments.

2. Children and Adolescents:

   • While neurostimulation therapies like the Reed Procedure® are not typically the first-line option for pediatric patients, exceptions might be made for older adolescents with severe, refractory migraines. In such cases, a thorough evaluation is necessary to ensure the patient is both physically and psychologically prepared for the procedure. The youngest patient we have treated to date was 12 years old at the time of the procedure. 

3. Elderly Patients:

   • Older adults can be considered candidates if they meet the medical criteria (e.g., chronic migraines unresponsive to treatment) and are in good overall health. Factors like existing medical conditions or a history of surgeries may influence eligibility.

Individualized Assessment:

The decision to proceed with the Reed Procedure® is not based solely on age but on the treatment’s overall suitability for the individual’s condition. Consulting with a specialist at Reed Migraine Centers is the best way to determine if the procedure is appropriate for you or a loved one, regardless of age.