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Dr. Ducic Headache Surgery

Posted , 5 users are following.

sarahen
sarahen

Hello everyone - I have been suffering from an intractable headache for just over a year (not nearly as long as many of you I know). I was diagnosed with occipital neuralgia and occipital nerve blocks help a lot (but I do not see a forum specifically for ON). I have recently been referred to Dr. Ducic in Washington DC for nerve decompression surgery. I have read a lot of positive reviews on this doctor and surgery. Has anyone here worked with Dr. Ducic? Had the surgery? Were you successful in getting insurance to cover it? Thanks everyone!

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • captainkelso
    captainkelso sarahen

    Posted

    I have not heard of this but it's intriguing. I'm curious where the nerve compression is located. Can you elaborate? 

    • sarahen
      sarahen captainkelso

      Posted

      There can be nerve compressions anywhere. For my particular problem (ON) it is likely in the muscles on the back of my neck. This doctor has lots of positive reviews for the surgery where he alleviates pressure on the occipital nerves. But everything else I've heard about nerve surgery is not to do it. Just trying to get as much information as possible. 

  • emily95596
    emily95596 sarahen

    Posted

    What were some of your symptoms? Or was it just headaches you were getting?
  • captainkelso
    captainkelso sarahen

    Posted

    Short term top of head intensive pain after coughing, sneezing, laughing or bending over. Has symptoms of tension headaches. Though not feeling stress or tension most of the time. Not an issue when lying down throughout the night. Saw doctor again today and he finally ordered an MRI. He mentioned "annurism" rule out. YIKES.

    • wendy80842
      wendy80842 captainkelso

      Posted

      Hi capt. the symptoms you describe are exactly the same as mine. For me, though, it's ongoing symptoms that are (apparently), a common after effect of brain surgery, which I had, to clip an aneurysm, after I had a subarachnoid haemorrhage. I was told, by the surgeon, that because I continued to have these symptoms, longer than the 18 months after surgery, that I could very well be stuck with them...

  • annelibotha
    annelibotha sarahen

    Posted

    Hi, how did they diagnose this? What tests did they run?

    I've been suffering from permanent chronic headache for 4 years and no docters have been able ot figure out what it is...

    Thanks

    • sarahen
      sarahen annelibotha

      Posted

      Diagnosis was based on the location and nature of the pain and a response to an occipital nerve block. 
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