Bad Brains Frontman H.R. Set to Undergo Brain Surgery Today

Bad Brains frontman H.R. (Paul Hudson) has been living with a condition called SUNCT (Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform headache with Conjunctival injection and Tearing), which randomly causes cluster headaches of such immense pain that it is often known as “Suicide Syndrome,” since November of 2015. Today he will finally undergo surgery to attempt to correct the condition and get him back to living a normal life.

Lambgoat dug up some details about SUNCT and the specifics of the procedure H.R. will be undergoing via Facebook:

“HR will be undergoing a surgical procedure to treat his SUNCT headaches. The surgery is most often performed on people who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia, which causes pain in the cheek. HR’s pain is over his eye, but it still involves a branch of the trigeminal nerve. This pain is described as being the most intense pain known to man, and is often referred to as “suicide syndrome”. When medications and other treatments don’t work, the last resort is surgery.

“The idea is that the pain is caused by a blood vessel pressing into the trigeminal nerve. In microvascular decompression surgery, a small hole is drilled through the skull behind the ear. The surgeon then cuts through the protective membrane to expose the brain and trigeminal nerve, and inserts a tiny scope to locate the offending vessel. The purpose of the surgery is to insert a barrier between the nerve and the blood vessel to relieve the pressure. While there are risks, the surgery has a high success rate.”

Whew, that sounds scary — any kind of surgery is intimidating, but having your head cut open must bring an extra level of trepidation.

Here’s to hoping everything goes as planned and H.R. comes out the other side healthy and pain free. Recovery time from this procedure is typically around two months.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover medical expenses; you can donate here.