The procedure is performed under mild sedation. You remain conscious and comfortable. The catheter access site receives local anesthesia, so you feel numbness and pressure but not sharp pain. Most patients describe it as less uncomfortable than a typical dental visit.

What does recovery look like?

Most patients go home the same day, typically 2–3 hours after the procedure. You'll have a small bandage at the catheter access site. For the first 48 hours: no driving and no strenuous activity. Most patients return to normal daily activities the next day. Mild discomfort at the access site is normal for 1–2 days. We follow up with you over the next 12 months to track your progress.

Common: mild bruising and soreness at the catheter access site (wrist or groin), which resolves in a few days. Some patients experience a mild headache for 1–2 days post-procedure. Rare: allergic reaction to contrast dye, vessel injury during catheterization, or infection at the access site. Across published studies to date, zero serious complications have been reported for this indication. The technique has been used safely in neurointerventional surgery for decades.

Is TEMMA® covered by insurance?

The diagnostic angiogram and lidocaine test are typically covered by insurance. The embolization procedure for migraine is not yet universally covered — though coverage is expanding as evidence grows. We help you understand costs and navigate coverage options before any procedure. Our team works with you on prior authorization and can provide the clinical documentation your insurer needs.

Will the treated artery grow back?

No. The platinum coil causes permanent occlusion of the middle meningeal artery — it will not recanalize. In some cases, small collateral vessels may form over time as the body naturally adapts, but these rarely affect your outcome. Published follow-up data shows sustained relief at 6–12 months and beyond.

The TEMMA® Procedure

Q: How long does the procedure take?

The embolization itself takes 40 minutes. Plan for about 4 hours total on procedure day, including preparation, the procedure, and recovery. The embolization is scheduled as a separate visit after a positive lidocaine test.

What Is TEMMA®?

A tiny coil. A precise seal. No surgery.

TTargeted

EEmbolization

MMigraine

MaManagement

TEMMA® — Targeted Embolization for Migraine Management — is a minimally invasive procedure that reduces blood flow to the dura, the membrane surrounding the brain — a pathway strongly linked to severe migraine. A fellowship-trained neurointerventional specialist threads a microcatheter through a small puncture at the wrist or groin up to the middle meningeal artery (MMA), then deploys a tiny platinum coil to significantly reduce blood flow to the area. The procedure takes 40 minutes. Both sides are typically treated in a single session. You go home the same day — drug-free.

Test first, then treat

Before the procedure, we perform a lidocaine test to confirm this pathway is driving your migraines. If the test is positive, embolization is scheduled for a separate visit. If it's negative, we stop — no permanent changes, no risk taken. Learn how the test works →

Minimally invasive

No head incisions. A microcatheter is threaded through a small puncture at the wrist or groin — the same technique used for stroke and aneurysm treatment for decades. No staples, no sutures.

40 minutes

The embolization itself is brief. Plan for about 4 hours total on procedure day, including preparation, the procedure, and recovery.

Same-day discharge

No overnight stay. Most patients resume normal activity within days. You leave drug-free — no ongoing prescriptions required.

Why It Works

The dura, the MMA, and the origin of migraine pain

The dura is the pain-sensitive lining around the brain. The middle meningeal artery (MMA) supplies it. Research shows this dura–MMA system is a central driver of migraine pain — and that many migraine medications act on this exact pathway.

TEMMA® acts on the same pathway mechanically. By closing the MMA with a small coil, the abnormal pain signals to the dura are reduced at their source.

The procedure is performed by fellowship-trained neurointerventional specialists and typically takes 40 minutes, with patients returning home the same day. And because TEMMA® is not another medication, there are no daily pills, injections, or refills — for many patients, that means stepping off preventive medications entirely.

Illustration of a soft platinum coil mass sealing the middle meningeal artery

The Steps

Four steps, one clear path.

The TEMMA® journey is a 4-step process. The first two steps are evaluation — confirming that TEMMA® is right for you. The last two are the actual procedure and recovery.

Consultation & Evaluation

30 to 60 minutes — outpatient clinic

Your journey begins with a visit to a migraine-trained neurointerventional specialist. We review your migraine history in detail — what you have tried, what has helped, what has not — along with any prior imaging (MRI or CT of the brain, if available), and discuss whether the anatomy of your middle meningeal artery and dura makes TEMMA® a reasonable option.

Review of your complete migraine history
Examination of prior imaging (MRI / CT)
Overview of the procedure and what to expect

The Lidocaine Test

30 to 60 minutes — outpatient procedural suite

The lidocaine test is a short version of the TEMMA® procedure designed to predict whether it will work for you. A tiny access point is made at the wrist or groin, a thin microcatheter is guided into the middle meningeal artery using live X-ray imaging, and a small amount of lidocaine is injected. You go home the same day and track your migraine response over the next days to weeks. If your pain improves, there is a very strong chance you will benefit from the full procedure.

Tiny access at the wrist or groin (2–3 mm)
Live X-ray guidance of a microcatheter into the MMA
You track your migraine response over days to weeks

The TEMMA® Procedure (Embolization)

40 minutes — outpatient procedural suite

If the lidocaine test is positive, we move forward with the actual treatment. You receive local anesthesia at the access site and light sedation to keep you comfortable. The microcatheter is navigated up into the middle meningeal artery, where a soft platinum coil is placed to seal the artery and reduce the abnormal dural blood flow that contributes to your migraines. Both sides are typically treated in a single session.

Local anesthesia + light sedation
Soft platinum coil placed into the artery
The coil seals the artery, reducing dural inflammation

Follow-Up & Recovery

Same-day discharge, full recovery within 1 week

Immediately after the procedure, you rest for 1–2 hours while the sedation wears off. A small bandage is placed at the access site, and most patients go home the same day with simple instructions. Most experience only mild soreness at the access site, temporary scalp sensations, and gradual improvement in migraine activity over the days and weeks that follow. You keep a daily headache diary, and we follow up with you over the coming months — so improvement is measured precisely, not just felt. The free TEMMA® Companion app guides this whole follow-up on your phone.

Rest 1–2 hours post-procedure, home the same day
Work: usually the next day. Exercise: 2–3 days
Headache diary and 12-month structured follow-up

Recovery Timeline

What recovery looks like.

Most patients return to normal activity quickly. Here's what to expect.

Day 0

Procedure day

Rest 1–2 hours. Bandage at access site. Go home same day.

Day 1

Light activity

Mild fatigue or soreness is normal. Most people resume light activity.

Day 2–3

Back to routine

Most patients return to work. Mild scalp sensations may continue.

Week 1

Full recovery

Exercise and strenuous activity. Migraine improvement often begins to show.

Weeks 2–4

Tracking response

Continued improvement in migraine frequency and severity is typical.

What to watch for — contact us immediately if you experience:

A severe headache that is different from your usual migraines
New neurological symptoms — vision changes, weakness, numbness, or difficulty speaking
Increasing pain, swelling, or bleeding at the puncture site
Fever above 101°F

Safety

Safe when performed by the right team.

The technique behind TEMMA® — middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization — has been performed thousands of times worldwide for other conditions. Across published studies for migraine, zero serious complications have been reported, and early studies show a strong safety profile with no major neurologic complications in published case series.

40+

Years of coil technology

used safely in neurovascular care

10,000+

MMA embolizations performed

worldwide across all conditions

<1%

Serious complication rate

across published studies

Cognitive side effects

the MMA does not supply brain tissue

Common

Mild & temporary

Mild headache or pressure for a day or two
Fatigue for the first 24–48 hours
Soreness or bruising at the wrist or groin access site
Temporary scalp tingling or sensations

Less common

A small number of patients

Brief visual changes
Temporary facial numbness or weakness
Allergic reaction to contrast dye
Bleeding at the access site

Rare but serious

Extremely rare in published literature

Stroke
Vessel injury
Coil migration