Afriend of mine here in London UK, has told me about an operation for cluster sufferers called Deep Brain Stimulation. Has anyone got any info on this and availability and success rate? anything atall would be much appreciated!

There is little literature on it for CH and unclear results being reported.

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Cephalalgia. 2008 Mar;28(3):285-95.
Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation for cluster headache: experience from a new multicase series.

Bartsch T, Pinsker MO, Rasche D, Kinfe T, Hertel F, Diener HC, Tronnier V, Mehdorn HM, Volkmann J, Deuschl G, Krauss JK.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany. t.bartsch@neurologie.uni-kiel.de

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the posterior hypothalamus was found to be effective in the treatment of drug-resistant chronic cluster headache. We report the results of a multicentre case series of six patients with chronic cluster headache in whom a DBS in the posterior hypothalamus was performed. Electrodes were implanted stereotactically in the ipsilateral posterior hypothalamus according to published coordinates 2 mm lateral, 3 mm posterior and 5 mm inferior referenced to the mid-AC-PC line. Microelectrode recordings at the target revealed single unit activity with a mean discharge rate of 17 Hz (range 13-35 Hz, n = 4).
OUT OF SIX PATIENTS, FOUR SHOWED A PROFOUND DECREASE OF THEIR ATTACK FREQUENCY AND PAIN INTENSITY ON THE VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS. OF THESE, ONE PATIENT WAS ATTACK FREE FOR 6 MONTHS UNDER NEUROSTIMULATION BEFORE RETURNING TO THE BASELINE WHICH LED TO ABORTION OF THE DBS. TWO PATIENTS HAD EXPERIENCED ONLY A MARGINAL, NON-SIGNIFICANT DECREASE WITHIN THE FIRST WEEKS UNDER NEUROSTIMULATION BEFORE RETURNING TO THEIR FORMER ATTACK FREQUENCY. AFTER A MEAN FOLLOW-UP OF 17 MONTHS, THREE PATIENTS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY ATTACK FREE, WHEREAS THREE PATIENTS CAN BE CONSIDERED AS TREATMENT FAILURES.
The stimulation was well tolerated and stimulation-related side-effects were not observed on long term. DBS of the posterior inferior hypothalamus is an effective therapeutic option in a subset of patients. Future controlled multicentre trials will need to confirm this open-label experience and should help to better define predictive factors for non-responders.

PMID: 18254897 [PubMed]
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Recent report re. Chronic Cluster:

Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2010 May;3(3):187-195.

Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation in the treatment of chronic cluster headache.
Leone M, Franzini A, Cecchini AP, Broggi G, Bussone G.

Headache Centre, Neuromodulation and Neurological Department, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, via Celoria 11, 20133 Milano, Italy.

Abstract
Cluster headache (CH) is a short-lasting unilateral headache associated with ipsilateral craniofacial autonomic manifestations. A POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET) STUDY HAS SHOWN THAT THE POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS IS ACTIVATED DURING CH ATTACKS, SUGGESTING THAT HYPOTHALAMIC HYPERACTIVITY PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN CH PATHOPHYSIOLOGY. ON THIS BASIS, STIMULATION OF THE IPSILATERAL POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS WAS HYPOTHESIZED TO COUNTERACT SUCH HYPERACTIVITY TO PREVENT INTRACTABLE CH. TEN YEARS AFTER ITS INTRODUCTION, HYPOTHALAMIC STIMULATION HAS BEEN PROVED TO SUCCESSFULLY PREVENT ATTACKS IN MORE THAN 60% OF 58 HYPOTHALAMIC IMPLANTED DRUG-RESISTANT CHRONIC CH PATIENTS. The implantation procedure has generally been proved to be safe, although it carries a small risk of brain haemorrhage. Long-term stimulation is safe, and nonsymptomatic impairment of orthostatic adaptation is the only noteworthy change. Microrecording studies will make it possible to better identify the target site. Neuroimaging investigations have shown that hypothalamic stimulation activates ipsilateral trigeminal complex, but with no immediate perceived sensation within the trigeminal distribution. Other studies on the pain threshold in chronically stimulated patients showed increased threshold for cold pain in the distribution of the first trigeminal branch ipsilateral to stimulation. These studies suggest that activation of the hypothalamus and of the trigeminal system are both necessary, but not sufficient to generate CH attacks. IN ADDITION TO THE HYPOTHALAMUS, OTHER UNKNOWN BRAIN AREAS ARE LIKELY TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THIS ILLNESS. HYPOTHALAMUS IMPLANTATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SMALL RISK OF INTRACEREBRAL HAEMORRHAGE AND MUST BE PERFORMED BY AN EXPERT NEUROSURGICAL TEAM, IN SELECTED PATIENTS.

PMID: 21179610 [PubMed]

I'm with them, it's a high risk, low chance of benefit treatment at this time. I would certainly want to exhaust every other possible treatment, before considering any type of invasive brain surgery.

Batch is serious about his offer to help, if you struggle with the use of oxygen, Batch is your go to guy.

Joe

Deep brain stimulation AND Morphine before 02,  while all the time you sit there and suffer.

   Marvelous, just marvelous. 

Like Brew, I'm not faulting you but you DO need to be a bit more proactive with these morons.