Pearls for Starting a Headache Surgery Practice in Academic and Private Practice

M Saad; L Connor; M H J Hazewinkel; Z M Peled; R Hagan; L Gfrerer; S A Kassis

doi:10.1016/j.jpra.2023.12.003

Pearls for Starting a Headache Surgery Practice in Academic and Private Practice

JPRAS Open. 2023 Dec 10:39:127-131. doi: 10.1016/j.jpra.2023.12.003. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Authors

M Saad¹, L Connor¹, M H J Hazewinkel², Z M Peled³, R Hagan⁴, L Gfrerer², S A Kassis¹

Affiliations

¹ Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Plastic Surgery, Nashville, TN.
² Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, New York, NY.
³ Peled Plastic Surgery, San Francisco, CA.
⁴ Neuropax Clinic, St. Louis, MO.

Abstract

There has been a growing body of evidence indicative of the effectiveness of headache surgery in treating patients with refractory headache disorders. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a Policy Statement in 2018 stating that peripheral nerve decompression surgery for the treatment of refractory chronic headache disorders in select patients is considered a standard of care treatment. This endorsement sparked the interest of numerous plastic surgeons into initiating their own headache surgery practices. However, establishing a headache surgery clinic introduces challenges and considerations. This report outlines the key pillars for launching a successful headache surgery practice in academic and private practice environments.

Keywords: Headache surgery; Nerve decompression surgery; Practice; Refractory headache.