How Long Does it Take to Recover After Brain Surgery?

Having a brain surgery is scary. It doesn’t matter if the procedure is minimally invasive or a routine one, just knowing that there’s someone working on your brain is disconcerting. While there are many guides and tips online on how to prepare for the procedure, there aren’t nearly as many on the recovery process. If you have a brain surgery coming up in close future, you will find the information we gathered here to be quite useful. Read on to find out how long will take you to fully recover after a brain surgery.

How long does a brain surgery last?

There’s not an easy answer to this question because the length of your surgery will greatly depend on the kind of surgery you’ll be getting. If you’re getting a brain biopsy, you can expect to be done in about two or three hours. On the other hand, if you’re awaiting a craniotomy and perhaps a removal of a brain tumor, you will be out for at least for hours, but you can expect to be done in about six hours. On a bright note, if you have a tumor removal by transsphenoidal approach, it’s going to take about 3-4 hours. This being said, a lot depends on the kind and the size of your brain tumor too. If the tumor is severe and interconnected to different areas of your brain, you can expect the surgery to last even longer.

The first steps after brain surgery

In most cases, the post-surgery process is benign, as you are required to take it easy and relax a lot. Your family and friends will probably be very anxious and want to see you immediately, but that won’t be possible. You will first need a few hours to recuperate and come to your senses before you are allowed visitation, and patients are always very grateful for this respite. These few hours of recovery will allow your body to settle down and prepare for the long healing and recovery process. Doctors and nurses will monitor you closely to make sure everything is going well and that you’re recovering well. The team of medics will keep an eye on you to ensure that you’re coming out of the surgery correctly and that there aren’t any complications.

How long is the recovery process?

All in all, the recovery process typically takes between 4 and 8 weeks, after which you’ll feel like your old self. Because the initial incisions on your head will likely be slightly sore for about a week afterwards, it’s a good idea to stay home. Staying as close to home as you can is imperative after your surgery, so the most important thing is to look into options near you. You could try to find a neurosurgeon in Brisbane near you so that you don’t have to take a long trip before or after the surgery. You will also probably have mild headaches for the first month or two, so try not to overexert yourself. F course, if you happen to experience any unusual or severe side effects during the recovery process, you immediately seek emergency medical care.

What side effects to expect

You will likely feel worse after surgery than you did before, but don’t let this scare you. This is perfectly normal after such a big surgery, even if it’s slightly upsetting. If you’re not prepared, you will also be scared and think that something went wrong, so prepare mentally for a period of feeling down. This is because brain surgery will cause some swelling in the brain, and you will get treatment to reduce it. You could also feel weak and dizzy, have trouble maintaining your balance and feel less coordinated than before. Seizures and confusion are also quite common, as are minor speech problems. Be prepared that your symptoms could be worse at first, and this can be a very challenging time for you and your family.

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People who search the web for “brain surgery” are usually focused on finding as precise and accurate information on what they can expect to happen. Such guides are almost always brief but at the same time almost clinically cold and informative. We hope to have brought the topic closer in a warmer and gentler way. Don’t forget to stay in touch with your doctors and nurses, but also your friends and family – knowing you have people who care will ease your worries.