Get answers to common questions about TEMMA — how it works, safety, recovery, insurance, and who is a good candidate.
TEMMA (Targeted Embolization for Migraine Management) is a minimally invasive treatment that uses a tiny soft coil to gently seal the middle meningeal artery (MMA)—a vessel linked to migraine-generating pain pathways. Closing this vessel can reduce abnormal signals in the dura and may help decrease migraine frequency and severity.
Research shows that many migraines begin in the dura, the pain-sensitive layer inside the skull supplied by the MMA (Middle Meningeal Artery). By blocking this artery, TEMMA helps quiet the pain pathways that can trigger and sustain migraine attacks.
No. TEMMA is not brain surgery. There are no incisions on the head and no instruments enter the brain. The procedure is done through a tiny opening at the wrist or groin using image-guided catheters.
Before TEMMA, a small amount of numbing medicine (lidocaine) is injected directly into the MMA through a microcatheter. The lidocaine test is a procedure similar to the TEMMA procedure. If your migraine improves—even briefly—it suggests you may benefit from the full TEMMA procedure.
A soft coil is placed inside the MMA using a microcatheter. It gently seals the artery, reducing abnormal dural blood flow. Most procedures take 45 minutes or less, use light sedation, and require no hospital stay.
No — you do not need the MMA for normal brain function, and embolizing it is considered safe in well-selected patients.
The MMA supplies blood to the dura, the thick covering around the brain, not to the brain itself. It does not provide oxygen or nutrients to brain tissue, and blocking it does not affect how the brain works.
MMA embolization has been performed thousands of times worldwide for other conditions (especially chronic subdural hematomas), and the procedure has a very strong safety record. Studies consistently show:
Most patients go home the same day and feel normal within 24 hours.
In migraine treatment, embolizing the MMA helps reduce abnormal pain signals from the dura — the same pathway targeted by many migraine medications — but in a longer-lasting, minimally invasive way.
Patients go home the same day and typically return to normal activity within 24 hours. Some experience mild fatigue or scalp tingling for a short time.
Many patients notice changes within days to weeks, though improvement can continue over several months as the migraine pathway quiets.
Yes. The technique used — MMA embolization — has been performed thousands of times for other conditions and has a strong safety record. The MMA does not supply brain tissue, making the procedure low risk when performed by trained neurointerventional specialists.
Side effects are usually mild and temporary:
Serious complications are extremely rare.
Insurance coverage varies. However, most insurances will cover both the evaluation and TEMMA procedure based on your medical history. We review all costs and benefits before scheduling treatment.
You may be a candidate if you have:
No. The coil stays securely in place and becomes embedded in the vessel wall over time. It does not travel to the brain.
Yes. TEMMA uses MRI-safe coils.
Because the artery remains sealed, the effect is intended to be long-lasting. Research is ongoing, but early results are very promising.
TEMMA is a new application of a well-established neurointerventional technique. As research grows and more patients experience improvement, awareness is rapidly increasing among migraine specialists.
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