Migraine Headaches Gone After Dr. Aguila Identifies and Removes Nerves

Cheryl’s Story

Migraine Headaches Gone 

“Before my surgery, I didn’t have much of a life. I was always afraid to go somewhere or do anything for fear of getting a migraine. Migraines for me were completely incapacitating. I couldn’t get out and go see my kids and family like I wanted to. It affected every relationship I have in one way or another.

I felt like I had no hope. I was just trying to survive between Botox injections. Honestly, I felt like I was just waiting for the Lord to come to get me and take me from this body of death.”

Dr. Aguila excised multiple occipital nerves to get rid of Cheryl’s migraines. She was 90% better after the first procedure.

She then identified that she had temporal triggers that were now identifiable since we’d taken care of the occipital triggers. Dr. Aguila returned to the operating room to remove the auriculotemporal nerves. Now she’s had only one migraine headache in the last year!

“EVERYTHING changed after my surgery! Dr. Aguila is my hero! Words can’t describe how life changed! I can go places and do things without fear! I actually have a life! I can actually be depended on by my family, instead of being absent! I praise God, that He led me to Dr. Aguila!”

Migraines are thought to be intracranial problems in which a headache is triggered by an alteration in blood flow.  Botox, however, would not alter the intracranial component of the migraine cascade, and so a different explanation is necessary to understand why botox (or surgery) would be helpful.  It is theorized, then, by many surgeons and dermatologists, that the mechanism by which Botox works is to paralyze the muscles that are irritating the nerves and acting as triggers for the migraines.  In effect, Botox doesn’t cure the migraines – it removes the trigger so that the process doesn’t start in the first place.

Cheryl no longer suffers from Migraine headaches after Dr. Aguila removed nerves in her head.

Here is what Dr. Aguila had to add to Cheryl’s case:

Similarly, the reason that the surgery helped is that the nerves were being irritated by the surrounding muscle and tissue, and that irritation would act as the trigger for the migraine headaches. We had discussed the option of decompressing the nerves, but Cheryl wanted to leave nothing to chance.

We instead removed nerves, knowing that it would likely leave her some numbness over certain areas of her scalp, but also knowing that the denervation would have a higher chance of success.  Surprisingly, despite the denervation, she did not have any numbness which speaks to the ability of the body to overlap sensory nerves, and that the nerves that traditionally are responsible for sensation in the scalp obviously had some cross-innervation from other nerves, such that she noticed no areas of numbness.

Demetrio Aguila MD

Peripheral Nerve Surgery Heals Troy’s Foot and Ankle Neuromas

Troy’s Story 

For many years I suffered from chronic ankle pain. By the time I met Dr. Aguila I had endured seven ankle surgeries, two plates and lots of hardware in my left ankle. The Orthopedic doctors were at a loss at what to do.I was taking lots of pain meds. I was to the point that I didn’t play with my kids or do the outdoor things I love anymore. My friends quit calling because they knew I would say know if they invited me to go hunting or fishing. My marriage suffered because I was in pain all the time and just wanted to go to bed after work. My job suffered and I had to change professions because it was hard to get around. Things were really falling apart around me.

It was frustrating because I saw many different doctors in Omaha, Norfolk, and Sioux Falls but no one could help reduce my pain. Until I met Dr. Aguila.

After surgery with Dr. Aguila, my life changed dramatically. I’m not taking any pain meds anymore. I’m going on walks with my wife. I’m playing with my kids. Just little things like talking my kids to the park are amazing. We were all missing out on so much.

The advice I have for people suffering from chronic pain is don’t give up. Don’t let the pain win. Give Dr. Aguila call.

Dr. Aguila is an amazing doctor but he’s even a better person. My family and I will be forever grateful for his help and friendship!!!

Young Father Overcomes Chronic Pain Thanks to Peripheral Nerve Surgery

Words of Hope

Healing Hands patient Wade bravely shares his powerful story of overcoming chronic pain and reclaiming his life thanks to Dr. Aguila. 

“I lived in pain for half my life. It started with neck and shoulder pain in high school. I couldn’t take a full breath for the last three and a half years. I had severe leg pain for eight years. The symptoms just kept getting worse. I hated my life. I couldn’t be the father and husband I wanted to be. Our friends and family stopped asking us to do things because we canceled so many times.I hated going to bed because I couldn’t sleep. I hated getting out of bed because I knew how much it was going to hurt.

I was completely drained. I didn’t know how much more or how long I was going to be able to live my life this way. I just kept thinking my wife and kids deserve better. But there was nothing I could do. The pain was overwhelming.

It was very frustrating getting help. Test after test, surgery after surgery offered me no relief.  I’ve been to the world’s best hospitals and seen the world’s best doctors. I’ve had hernia surgeries, two heart caths, discograms, burning of nerves in the spine and exploratory scopes just to name a few. I spent more than a month at one of the best hospitals in the world but did not get any relief.

The crushing blow came from the last doctor I saw before Dr. Aguila. He walked into the room and the first thing he said to me was, “There is nothing wrong with you. You need to see a psychiatrist.” Then he walked out the door. That defeated me. I really thought there was no hope. Luckily my family physician talked me into seeing one last doctor, Dr. Aguila.

Dr. Aguila gave me hope. Five minutes into my first appointment, Dr. Aguila said he was 90% sure of what was wrong with me! Since then he has operated on me six times. Each time he operates on three to five areas. For some reason, my body produces an excess of nerves. Instead of having one nerve running through a spot I have three or four. Each time I come out of surgery I’m better off than when I went in.

My wife says it best, “Dr. Aguila gave me and the kids our Wade back.”

My advice is don’t listen to other doctors when they say there is nothing wrong with you. They are just saying that because they don’t know. You are in pain for a reason. Listen to your body and don’t stop looking for help like I almost did.

My life is so much better now. I can play sports and goof off with kids, and go out with the wife. I look forward to my days now.

My family and I cannot thank Dr. Aguila enough! He is my doctor but when I see him it’s like going to see a good friend who really cares about you.”

Dr. Aguila Helps David Walk Again Thanks to Peripheral Nerve Surgery

David Goes from Wheelchair to Walking Thanks to Peripheral Nerve Surgery

David was confined to a wheelchair after a hip replacement surgery destroyed nerves, muscles, and tendons in his leg. He couldn’t use his leg for two years. After seeking help at Johns Hopkins University they directed him to one of their own, Dr. Demetrio Aguila. Dr. Aguila decompressed the sciatic, common/deep/superficial peroneal nerves through peripheral nerve surgery.

Watch how David’s life changed.

Long-term Solutions for Chronic Pain through Peripheral Nerve Surgery

If you are suffering from chronic pain and numbness and are searching for relief and a return to a more active and pain-free life, peripheral nerve surgery could be the procedure that finally restores you to health.

With offices in Norfolk, Nebraska, Dr. Demetrio Aguila is one of the nation’s top peripheral nerve surgeons – and one of the few who performs the procedure in this part of the country.

A member of the American Society for Peripheral Nerve, Dr. Aguila specializes in peripheral nerve surgery and has helped patients from around the country regain pain-free and healthy lives.