Brain Surgery

Brain surgery treats problems in your brain, such as tumors, leaky blood vessels or epilepsy. Surgeries, such as a craniotomy, require an incision (cut) in your brain; but other procedures are less invasive. Your surgeon carefully plans surgery to avoid damaging areas of the brain that control important functions like speaking and moving.

What Are The Benefits Of Brain Surgery?
Brain surgery can be a life-saving procedure. It can treat strokes, brain bleeds, tumors and other serious medical problems. Advances in medical technology have also made brain surgery safer than ever before. Newer, less invasive procedures are available, greatly reducing risks of complications.
The Risks Of Brain Surgery
All surgical procedures carry some risk. Brain surgery is a major medical event. It carries extra risk.

Possible risks associated with brain surgery include:
- allergic reaction to anesthesia
- bleeding in the brain
- a blood clot
- brain swelling
- coma
- impaired speech, vision, coordination, or balance
- infection in the brain or at the wound site
- memory problems
- seizures
- stroke
How do I prepare for brain surgery?
Brain surgery requires careful planning. First, your healthcare provider does a physical examination and blood tests. They want to make sure you’re healthy enough for anesthesia and surgery.

You may also have a range of imaging exams such as MRIs, CT scans, PET scans or an angiography. These scans create highly detailed pictures of the tissues, nerves and blood vessels in your brain. The pictures help your surgeon locate the exact areas that need treatment.

Your surgeon or other healthcare providers will also give you information about:
- Making adjustments to your health before surgery: If you smoke, you should stop several weeks before surgery. Smoking increases the risk of surgical complications and can make it harder for you to heal
- Stopping or starting certain medications before surgery: Some people take steroids before brain surgery to reduce the risk of swelling. Anti-epileptic drugs reduce the risk of seizures. If you take blood-thinning medication you may need to stop this a few days or a week before surgery.
- What to expect after surgery: Depending on the type of procedure you have, there may or may not be a lengthy recovery period. And, you may need neurological rehabilitation.
A Note To Understand
Brain surgery can treat a variety of serious medical conditions, including brain tumors, aneurysms and epilepsy. Some types of brain surgery require an incision (cut) in your skull and brain. Other procedures are minimally invasive and may not require any incisions. The biggest risks with brain surgery include loss of function, such as the ability to speak, walk or think. Some people need rehabilitation after surgery to regain function.
When To Call The Doctor
It is normal to experience side effects, and to even feel worse after your brain surgery before you feel better. But, there are some problems that are not normal, and you should contact your surgeon or other healthcare provider about them
- Difficulty peeing (urinating). Loss of control of urination or bowel movements.
- Trouble staying awake or waking up.
- Fever or nausea/vomiting.
- Severe confusion, big changes in mood or behavior or hallucinations.
- Difficulty with your sight, hearing or speaking.
- Trouble walking or weakness in the legs or arms.
- A stiff neck or headaches that are worse than before.
- No feeling, numbness, or pins and needles in your arms, legs or face.
- Fainting.
- Seizure.
Call 102/108 or go to the emergency department if you It is normal to experience side effects, and to even feel worse after your brain surgery before you feel better. But, there are some problems that are not normal, and you should contact your surgeon or other healthcare provider about them experience:/
- Difficulty breathing.
- A seizure, when you haven’t had one before.
- A different type of seizure than what you’ve had before.
What Is The Outlook After Brain Surgery?
Everyone recovers differently after brain surgery. It can take weeks to recover from less invasive brain surgeries. Or it may take months for you to heal from a major procedure like a craniotomy.

Talk to your healthcare provider about when it’s safe to return to work and normal activities. Depending on the surgery you had, they can give you specific recommendations. It’s important to go to your follow-up appointments in the weeks and months following surgery. You may need imaging scans to make sure the problem hasn’t returned.
What Are The Risks Of Brain Surgery?
As with any surgery, brain surgery carries risks of bleeding, infection or reactions to anesthesia. Other side effects that can occur immediately after surgery include:
- Aphasia (difficulty speaking).
- Brain swelling.
- Confusion or delirium.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
- Movement or balance problems.
The biggest long-term risks after brain surgery include:
- Behavior changes.
- Brain damage.
- Difficulty walking.
- Memory loss.
- Problems with speech.
- Weakness in your arms or legs.
What Happens After Brain Surgery?
After your surgery, you’ll stay in the hospital for observation. For less invasive procedures like endovascular surgery, you might only need to stay for one to two days. But after an open craniotomy, you might need to stay in the hospital for up to 10 days.

You may continue to receive steroids or anti-seizure medications to prevent brain swelling and seizures. You may also need neuro rehabilitation to restore certain functions. This may include care from physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists. They can help you regain strength, mobility, speaking skills and the ability to perform daily tasks, if needed.
Why Brain Surgery Is Done
Brain surgery is done to correct physical abnormalities in the brain. These can be due to birth defect, disease, injury, or other problems.

You may need brain surgery if you have any of the following conditions in or around the brain:
- abnormal blood vessels
- an aneurysm
- bleeding
- blood clots
- damage to the protective tissue called the “dura”
- epilepsy
- abscesses
- nerve damage or nerve irritation
- Parkinson’s disease
- pressure after head injury
- skull fracture
- a stroke
- brain tumors
- fluid building up in the brain
Not all of these conditions require brain surgery, but many may be helped by it, especially if they pose a risk for more serious health problems. For example, a brain aneurysm doesn’t require open brain surgery, but you may need open surgery if the vessel ruptures.
What Is Brain Surgery?
The term “brain surgery” refers to various medical procedures that involve repairing structural problems in the brain.

There are numerous types of brain surgery. The type used is based on the area of the brain and the condition being treated. Advances in medical technology have enabled surgeons to operate on portions of the brain without a single incision in or near the head.

Brain surgery is a critical and complicated process. The type of brain surgery done depends highly on the condition being treated. For example, a brain aneurysm can be repaired using a catheter that’s introduced into an artery in the groin. If the aneurysm has ruptured, an open surgery called craniotomy may be used. Surgeons, while being as careful and thorough as possible, treat each surgery on a case-by-case basis.

Treatments

Types Of Brain Surgery
There are several different types of brain surgery. The type used depends on the problem being treated. Craniotomy: A craniotomy involves making an incision in the scalp and creating a hole known as a bone flap in the skull. The hole and incision are made near the area of the brain being treated. During open brain surgery, your surgeon may opt to: • remove tumors • clip off an aneurysm • drain blood or fluid from an infection • remove abnormal brain tissue When the procedure is complete, the bone flap is usually secured in place with plates, sutures, or wires. The hole may be left open in the case of tumors, infection, or brain swelling. When left open, the procedure is known as a craniectomy. Biopsy: This procedure is used to remove a small amount of brain tissue or a tumor so it can be examined under a microscope. This involves a small incision and hole in the skull. Minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic surgery: This type of surgery allows your surgeon to remove tumors or lesions through your nose and sinuses. It allows them to access parts of your brain without making an incision. The procedure involves the use of an endoscope, which is a telescopic device equipped with lights and a camera so the surgeon can see where they’re working. Your doctor can use this for tumors on the pituitary gland, tumors on the base of the skull, and tumors growing at the bottom part of the brain. Minimally invasive neuroendoscopy: Similar to minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic surgery, neuroendoscopy uses endoscopes to remove brain tumors. Your surgeon may make small, dime-sized holes in the skull to access parts of your brain during this surgery. Deep brain stimulation: As with a biopsy, this procedure involves making a small hole in the skull, but instead of removing a piece of tissue, your surgeon will insert a small electrode into a deep portion of the brain. The electrode will be connected to a battery at the chest, like a pacemaker, and electrical signals will be transmitted to help symptoms of different disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. Laser ablation: Some conditions may be too deep in the brain for safe access through a craniotomy. In these cases, use of a laser probe, passed through a tiny hole in the skull may allow destruction of a tumor, radiation injury or epileptic tissue. View

Types Of Brain Surgery

There are several different types of brain surgery. The type used depends on the problem being treated.

Craniotomy:

A craniotomy involves making an incision in the scalp and creating a hole known as a bone flap in the skull. The hole and incision are made near the area of the brain being treated.

During open brain surgery, your surgeon may opt to:

• remove tumors
• clip off an aneurysm
• drain blood or fluid from an infection
• remove abnormal brain tissue

When the procedure is complete, the bone flap is usually secured in place with plates, sutures, or wires. The hole may be left open in the case of tumors, infection, or brain swelling. When left open, the procedure is known as a craniectomy.

Biopsy:

This procedure is used to remove a small amount of brain tissue or a tumor so it can be examined under a microscope. This involves a small incision and hole in the skull.

Minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic surgery:

This type of surgery allows your surgeon to remove tumors or lesions through your nose and sinuses. It allows them to access parts of your brain without making an incision. The procedure involves the use of an endoscope, which is a telescopic device equipped with lights and a camera so the surgeon can see where they’re working. Your doctor can use this for tumors on the pituitary gland, tumors on the base of the skull, and tumors growing at the bottom part of the brain.

Minimally invasive neuroendoscopy:

Similar to minimally invasive endonasal endoscopic surgery, neuroendoscopy uses endoscopes to remove brain tumors. Your surgeon may make small, dime-sized holes in the skull to access parts of your brain during this surgery.

Deep brain stimulation:

As with a biopsy, this procedure involves making a small hole in the skull, but instead of removing a piece of tissue, your surgeon will insert a small electrode into a deep portion of the brain. The electrode will be connected to a battery at the chest, like a pacemaker, and electrical signals will be transmitted to help symptoms of different disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.

Laser ablation:

Some conditions may be too deep in the brain for safe access through a craniotomy. In these cases, use of a laser probe, passed through a tiny hole in the skull may allow destruction of a tumor, radiation injury or epileptic tissue.

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What Happens During Brain Surgery
Brain surgery is different for each person. Sometimes the surgical team needs to shave part of your head to operate, or they may just shave a tiny area to make an incision (cut). Your head won’t need to be shaved at all for most minimally invasive surgeries. Some procedures require general anesthesia, which means you’re completely unconscious. But other procedures only need sedation, meaning you’re partially asleep but can still respond to certain stimuli. During certain surgeries, you may even be awake during surgery. This is the case for some tumors, epilepsy or neurological conditions. During an awake craniotomy, you receive anesthetic on your head, so you don’t feel pain from the incision. You also receive sedation to put you into a light sleep. But your surgeon and anesthesiologist wake you up during the surgery and ask you to perform tasks. You may need to speak, move a body part, look at objects or remember information. Prior to surgery, they may monitor your brain function using a functional MRI. Providers call this interoperative brain mapping. This process helps your surgeon avoid important areas of the brain during surgery. Brain surgery can take anywhere from two to nine hours or more, depending on the complexity of your surgery. View

What Happens During Brain Surgery

Brain surgery is different for each person. Sometimes the surgical team needs to shave part of your head to operate, or they may just shave a tiny area to make an incision (cut). Your head won’t need to be shaved at all for most minimally invasive surgeries.

Some procedures require general anesthesia, which means you’re completely unconscious. But other procedures only need sedation, meaning you’re partially asleep but can still respond to certain stimuli. During certain surgeries, you may even be awake during surgery. This is the case for some tumors, epilepsy or neurological conditions.

During an awake craniotomy, you receive anesthetic on your head, so you don’t feel pain from the incision. You also receive sedation to put you into a light sleep. But your surgeon and anesthesiologist wake you up during the surgery and ask you to perform tasks. You may need to speak, move a body part, look at objects or remember information. Prior to surgery, they may monitor your brain function using a functional MRI. Providers call this interoperative brain mapping. This process helps your surgeon avoid important areas of the brain during surgery.

Brain surgery can take anywhere from two to nine hours or more, depending on the complexity of your surgery.

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