Lebanon (961) 76 377 376 | info@advancedbmi.com
Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Migraine

Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Migraine

Throughout the years since its conception, weight loss surgery has been proven to do more than just make you lose weight. The benefits of bariatric surgery are ample: weight loss, improvement of heart health, regulating blood pressure, lowering cancer risks, preventing or stopping diabetes, etc.

In addition to all of these benefits, researchers have found that weight loss surgery reduces migraine.

What is migraine?

A person who has migraine will experience episodes of severe headaches that can cause nausea and vomiting. Migraine attacks can last for a long time and be so painful that the patient will not be able to work normally.

Migraine can be worsened by many factors. In this article, we will mention the factors related to obesity.

Obesity and migraine

Sleep apnea, thyroid disorders, stress, and depression can increase migraine attacks. People with a normal BMI who have migraine have a 3% chance of the condition worsening and becoming chronic, while obese people with migraine have a 9% chance of developing chronic migraine.

Studies have shown that migraine patients also have higher levels of insulin and cholesterol, which is often associated with obesity and unhealthy eating habits.
Studies have also shown that fat cells produce and discharge certain hormones that cause pain, and that these same hormones were observed during a migraine attack. This leads obese migraine patients to experience more headaches.

To support these claims, a 2011 study followed 24 severely obese migraine patients before and after weight loss surgery. They were given questionnaires before and after and were asked to report the frequency of headaches before having weight loss surgery versus six months after the surgery. The reports concluded that there was significant reduction in the frequency and severity of headaches, no less than 50% reduction.

Author Info

Dr Nagi Safa

Dr Nagi Safa is a Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeon (Weight-Loss Surgeon) at the Advanced BMI in Lebanon and at the Sacred Heart Hospital of Montreal, and holds an academic appointment at the University of Montreal. Furthermore, he is involved in the training of residents and surgical fellows on how to perform advanced laparoscopic obesity surgery. In 2010, he launched the Advanced Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (Advanced BMI) in Lebanon, and has been helping hundreds of patients from all over the Middle-East through his expertise in obesity surgery. Education: Dr Safa completed his residency training at the University of Montreal General Surgery Program. He then performed a fellowship in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and Minimal Invasive Surgery (Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery), at the Sacred Heart Hospital of Montreal, which is the largest Weight Loss Surgery center in the Montreal area, and one of the busiest in Canada. Experience: During his training, and throughout his practice, Dr Safa performed more than one thousand laparoscopic procedures, including Roux en Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding, gastric plication and many other abdominal surgery procedures. He has a particular interest in LaparoscopicRevisional Surgery including banding, bypass and sleeve. With a keen interest in the advancement of obesity surgery and newer minimally invasive surgical techniques, Dr Safa gained experience in the single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), and offers Single Incision gastric banding and Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery. Research: His current research interests include clinical outcomes from various bariatric surgery procedures and investigations on the impact of bariatric surgery on Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome X. Memberships: Dr Safa holds professional memberships with the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons, Canadian Association of General Surgeons, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Association for Surgical Oncology, Quebec Medical Association, Trauma Association of Canada, Association Quebecoise de Chirurgie, International College of Surgeon, and the College des Medecins du Quebec.
×