BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- The cure for migraine headaches may not rest in pills or syrups -- but in plastic surgery.

Dr. Bahman Guyuron, a plastic surgeon in Lyndhurst, Ohio, may be on the brink of such a cure, reported WEWS-TV in Cleveland.

Vera Bernat, Guyuron's patient, suffered from migraines for 35 years. She had surgery a year ago and has been migraine-free since.

"It is a cure. It is a cure, and I believe it," she said. "I've been through it for a whole year. I did not take medications for a whole year -- first time after 35 years."

Bernat said the surgery has changed her life.

"Often I woke up in the morning feeling very, very ill, mainly, the nausea, vomiting, the pain was excruciating," she said.

She also had problems with her vision and concentrating and nothing worked for her.

It was just a coincidence after a cosmetic procedure that she felt relief.

"We had done a forehead rejuvenation, which involved the removal of some of the frowning muscles," Guyuron said. "She came back for a follow-up, and she stated she not only was happy about her appearance. She was surprised to see her migraines had gone away."

A week later, another woman said the same thing.

Researchers discovered frowning muscles are considered a trigger for migraine headaches.

The surgery works because it releases the nerves that are being irritated by an inflammation in the area of the sinuses.

"By removing those muscles or freeing a nerve, we can actually eliminate the source of migraine headaches," Guyuron said. "We are taking away the trigger sites."

Guyuron said people who get relief from migraines with botox injections are good candidates.

"Ninety percent of the patients who have a good response to the injection of botox are likely to benefit from the surgery," he said.

Guyuron added: "The most common statement I hear from the patients is that 'You don't understand. You have changed my life.' And it has been repeated so often that I'm convinced that we are making a difference."

More follow-up studies are needed, however.

Dr. Tarves Tucker, of the American Migraine Center, believes it's a cure.

"I think the only downside of the procedure is that you look younger, but the magic of the revolution is that all the medications we've had to date to prevent headache, at best, decrease headache frequency by 50 percent. This is the first time we've actually had a chance to cure migraines -- to actually eliminate it," he said.