ASJ Aesthetic Surgery Journal · 2026

Frequency of Migraine and Sinus Headaches in Patients Undergoing Primary Rhinoplasty

Cvelbar R, Fodor R, Fraiman E, Guyuron B.

What this paper says

Among 190 consecutive primary rhinoplasty patients, 33.68% self-reported sinus or migraine headaches and 18.42% reported migraine, above the global migraine rate of 14-15%, suggesting an opportunity to treat nasal headache triggers during surgery.

Overview

Guyuron's group has long argued that many migraines have a nasal (rhinogenic) trigger point that septorhinoplasty can address. This retrospective review used the senior author's two-page preoperative questionnaire to count self-reported migraine and sinus headaches in consecutive primary rhinoplasty patients.

Sections of note

190 patients: 164 women (86.32%), 26 men (13.68%).
64 (33.68%) had sinus headaches, migraines or both.
Sinus headaches only 29 (15.26%); migraines only 12 (6.32%); both 23 (12.11%).
Migraine with or without sinus headache: 35 (18.42%).
Level of Evidence 4.

What it means for a patient

One in three people presenting for rhinoplasty in this practice reported headaches; if that includes you, tell the surgeon, because septal and turbinate contact points can be addressed during the same operation.
The headache figures are self-reported on a questionnaire, not diagnosed by a neurologist.
The claim that surgery relieves migraines is the senior author's established position and is not tested in this paper.

Why this paper matters

It quantifies headache prevalence in a rhinoplasty population to support combined treatment. Limits: single practice, self-report, no outcome data on headache relief.

Terms

Rhinogenic migraine: migraine triggered by contact between the septum and turbinates inside the nose.
Sinus headache: facial pain attributed to the sinuses, often actually migraine.
Trigger site: a specific anatomical point whose irritation sets off a migraine.
Septorhinoplasty: rhinoplasty combined with septal correction.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Nearly two-thirds of patients who suffer from migraine headaches (MHs) have a rhinogenic trigger site. Most rhinoplasty patients are female, and an estimated 18% of females suffer from MHs. Rhinogenic MHs and sinus headaches (SHs) are commonly triggered by elements that can be readily addressed during…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.